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THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 


By  MEREDITH  NICHOLSON 


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THE  BOBBS-MERRILL  COMPANY 
INDIANAPOLIS 


THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG 
AT  KILDARE 


MEREDITH  NICHOLSON 


WITH   ILLUSTRATIONS  BY 

JAMES  MONTGOMERY  FLAGG 


Oh,  for  you  that  I  never  knew, 

Only  in  dreams  that  bind  you !  — 

By  Spring's  own  grace  I  shall  know  your  face 
When  under  the  may  I  find  you ! 

— H.  C.  Bunner 


INDIANAPOLIS 

THE  BOBBS-MERRILL  COMPANY 
PUBLISHERS 


COPYRIGHT  1908 
THE  BOBBS-MERRILL  COMPANY 

SEPTEMBER 


GIFT 


lit 


THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 


284 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I  Two  Gentlemen  Say  Good-By       .        .        .        .1 

II  The  Absence  of  Governor  Osborne      ...      34 

III  The  Jug  and  Mr.Ardmore     .        .        .        .        .      50 

IV  Duty  and  the  Jug .73 

V  Mr.  Ardraore  Officially  Recognized                            95 

VI  Mr.  Griswold  Forsakes  the  Academic  Life          .    126 

VII  An  Affair  at  the  State  House         ....    143 

VIII  The  Labors  of  Mr.  Ardmore          ....    166 

IX  The  Land  of  the  Little  Brown  Jug       .        .        .187 

X  Professor  Griswold  Takes  the  Field    .        .        .201 

XI    Two  Ladies  on  a  Balcony 218 

XII  The  Embarrassments  of  the  Duke  of  Bally  winkle  235 

XIII  Miss  Dangerfield  Takes  a  Prisoner      .        .        .257 

XIV  A  Meeting  of  Old  Friends 281 

XV  The  Prisoner  in  the  Corn-Crib     ....    308 

XVI    The  Flight  of  Gillingwater 336 

XVII    On  the  Road  to  Turner's 349 

XVIII    The  Battle  of  the  Raccoon 362 

XIX  In  the  Red  Bungalow     .        .        .       .        .        .375 

XX    RosaeMundi 396 

XXI  Good-By  to  Jerry  Dangerfield       ....    414 


THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG 
AT  KILDARE 

CHAPTER  I 

TWO   GENTLEMEN    SAY   GOOD-BY 

"If  anything  really  interesting  should  happen  to  me 
I  think  I  should  drop  dead,"  declared  Ardmore  as  he 
stood  talking  to  Griswold  in  the  railway  station  at  At 
lanta.  "I  entered  upon  this  life  under  false  pretenses, 
thinking  that  money  would  make  the  game  easy,  but  here 
I  am,  twenty-seven  years  old,  stalled  at  the  end  of  a 
blind  alley,  with  no  light  ahead ;  and  to  be  quite  frank, 
old  man,  I  don't  believe  you  have  the  advantage  of  me. 
What's  the  matter  with  us,  anyhow  ?" 

"The  mistake  we  make,"  replied  Griswold,  "is  in  fail- 
1 


2    THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARB 

ing  to  seize  opportunities  when  they  offer.  You  and  I 
have  talked  ourselves  hoarse  a  thousand  times  planning 
schemes  we  never  pull  off.  We  are  cursed  with  inde 
cision,  that's  the  trouble  with  us.  We  never  see  the 
handwriting  on  the  wall,  or  if  we  do,  it's  just  a  streak 
of  hieroglyphics,  and  we  don't  know  what  it  means  until 
we  read  about  it  in  the  newspapers.  But  I  thought  you 
were  satisfied  with  the  thrills  you  got  running  as  a  re 
form  candidate  for  alderman  in  New  York  last  year. 
It  was  a  large  stage  and  the  lime-light  struck  you  pretty 
often.  Didn't  you  get  enough?  No  doubt  they'd  be 
glad  to  run  you  again." 

Ardmore  glanced  hastily  about  and  laid  his  hand 
heavily  on  his  friend's  shoulder. 

"Don't  mention  it — don't  think  of  it !  No  more  poli 
tics  in  mine.  The  world  may  go  hang  if  it  waits  for 
me  to  set  it  right.  What  I  want  is  something  different, 
a  real  adventure — something  with  spice  in  it.  I  have 
bought  everything  money  can  buy,  and  now  I'm  looking 
for  something  that  can't  be  tagged  with  a  price." 

"There's  your  yacht  and  the  open  sea,"  suggested 
Griswold. 

"Sick  of  it !    Sick  to  death  of  it !" 

"You're  difficult,  old  man,  and  mighty  hard  to  please. 


TWO    GENTLEMEN    SAY    GOOD-BY          3 

Why  don't  you  turn  explorer  and  go  in  for  the  North 
Pole?" 

"Perfectly  bully !  .I've  thought  of  it  a  lot,  but  I  want 
to  be  sure  I've  cleaned  up  everything  else  first.  It's 
always  up  there  waiting — on  ice,  so  to  speak — but  when 
it's  done  once  there  will  be  nothing  left.  I  want  to  save 
that  for  the  last  call." 

"You  said  about  the  same  thing  when  we  talked  of 
Thibet  that  first  evening  we  met  at  the  University  Club, 
and  now  the  Grand  Lama  sings  in  all  the  phonographs, 
and  for  a  penny  you  can  see  him  in  a  kineto- 
scope,  eating  his  luncheon.  I  remember  very  well  that 
night.  We  were  facing  each  other  at  a  writing-table, 
and  you  looked  up  timidly  from  your  letter  and  asked 
me  whether  there  were  two  g's  in  aggravate,  and  I  an 
swered  that  it  depended  on  the  meaning — one  g  for  a 
mild  case,  two  for  a  severe  one — and  you  laughed,  and 
we  began  talking.  Then  we  found  out  how  lonesome  we 
both  were,  and  you  asked  me  to  dinner,  and  then  took 
me  to  that  big  house  of  yours  up  there  in  Fifth  Avenue 
and  showed  me  the  pictures  in  your  art  gallery,  and  we 
found  out  that  we  needed  each  other." 

"Yes,  I  had  needed  you  all  right!"  And  Ardmore 
sniffed  dolefully,  and  complained  of  the  smoke  that  was 


4    THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

drifting  in  upon  them  from  the  train  sheds.  "I  wish 
you  wouldn't  always  be  leaving  me.  You  ought  to  give 
up  your  job  and  amuse  me.  You're  the  only  chap  1 
know  who  doesn't  talk  horse  or  automobile  or  yacht,  or 
who  doesn't  want  to  spend  whole  evenings  discussing 
champagne  vintages;  but  you're  too  good  a  man  to  be 
wasted  on  a  college  professorship.  Better  let  me  endow 
an  institution  that  will  make  you  president — there  might 
be  something  in  that." 

"It  would  make  me  too  prominent,  so  that  when  w« 
really  make  up  our  minds  to  go  in  for  adventures  I 
should  be  embarrassed  by  my  high  position.  As  a 
mere  lecturer  on  The  Libeling  of  Sunken  Ships  in 
a  law  school,  I'm  the  most  obscure  person  in  the 
world.  And  for  another  thing,  we  couldn't  risk  the 
scandal  of  tainted  money.  It  would  be  nasty  to  have 
your  great-grandfather's  whisky  deals  with  the  Mohawk 
Indians  chanted  in  a  college  yell." 

The  crowd  surged  past  them  to  the  Washington  ex 
press,  and  a  waiting  porter  picked  up  Griswold's  bags. 

"Wish  you  wouldn't  go.  I  have  three  hours  to  wait," 
said  Ardmore,  looking  at  his  watch,  "and  the  only  At 
lanta  man  I  know  is  out  of  town." 

"What  did  you  say  you  were  going  to  New  Orleans 


TWO    GENTLEMEN    SAY    GOOD-BY          5 

for?"  demanded  Griswold,  taking  out  his  ticket  and 
moving  toward  the  gate.  "I  thought  you  exhausted  the 
Creole  restaurants  long  ago." 

"The  fact  is,"  faltered  Ardmore,  coloring,  "I'm  look 
ing  for  some  one." 

"Out  with  it — out  with  it !"  commanded  his  friend. 

"I'm  looking  for  a  girl  I  saw  from  a  car  window  day 
before  yesterday.  I  had  started  north,  and  my  train 
stopped  to  let  a  south-bound  train  pass  somewhere  in 
North  Carolina.  The  girl  was  on  the  south-bound 
sleeper,  and  her  window  was  opposite  mine.  She  put 
aside  the  magazine  she  was  reading  and  looked  me  over 
rather  coolly." 

"And  you  glanced  carelessly  in  the  opposite  direction 
and  pulled  down  your  shade,  of  course,  like  the  well-bred 
man  you  are — "  interrupted  Griswold,  holding  fast  to 
Ardmore's  arm  as  they  walked  down  the  platform. 

"I  did  no  such  thing.  I  looked  at  her  and  she  looked 
at  me.  And  then  my  train  started — " 

"Well,  trains  have  a  way  of  starting.  Does  the  ro 
mance  end  here  ?" 

"Then,  just  at  the  last  moment,  she  winked  at  me !" 

"It  was  a  cinder,  Ardy.  The  use  of  soft  coal  on  rail 
ways  is  one  of  the  saddest  facts  of  American  transporta- 


6     THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

tion.  I  need  hardly  remind  you,  Mr.  Ardmore,  that  nice 
girls  don't  wink  at  strange  young  men.  It  isn't  done !" 

"I  would  have  you  know,  Professor,  that  this  girl  is  a 
lady/' 

"Don't  be  so  irritable,  and  let  me  summarize  briefly 
on  your  own  hypothesis :  You  stared  at  a  strange  girl 
and  she  winked  at  you,  safe  in  the  consciousness  that  she 
would  never  see  you  again.  And  now  you  are  going  to 
New  Orleans  to  look  for  her.  She  will  probably  meet 
you  at  the  station,  with  her  bridesmaids  and  wedding- 
cake  all  ready  for  you.  And  you  think  this  will  lead  to 
an  adventure — you  defer  finding  the  North  Pole  for 
this — for  this  ?  Poor  Ardy !  But  did  she  toss  her  card 
from  the  window  ?  Why  New  Orleans  ?  Why  not  Min 
neapolis,  or  Bangor,  Maine?" 

"I'm  not  an  ass,  Grissy.  I  caught  the  name  of  the 
sleeper — you  know  they're  all  named,  like  yachts  and 
tall  buildings — the  name  of  her  car  was  the  Alexandra, 
I  asked  our  conductor  where  it  was  bound  for,  and  he 
said  it  was  the  New  Orleans  car.  So  I  took  the  first 
train  back,  ran  into  you  here,  and  that's  the  whole  story 
to  date." 

"I  admire  your  spirit.  New  Orleans  is  much  pleas- 
anter  than  the  polar  ice,  and  a  girl  with  a  winking  eye 


TWO    GENTLEMEN    SAY    GOOD-BY          ? 

isn't  to  be  overlooked  in  this  vale  of  tears.  What  did 
this  alleviating  balm  for  tired  eyes  look  like,  if  you  re 
member  anything  besides  the  wicked  wink  ?" 

"She  was  bareheaded,  and  her  hair  was  wonderfully 
light  and  fluffy,  and  it  was  parted  in  the  middle  and  tied 
behind  with  a  black  ribbon  in  a  great  bow.  She  rested 
her  cheek  on  her  hand — her  elbow  on  the  window-sill, 
you  know — and  she  smiled  a  little  as  the  car  moved  off, 
and  winked — do  you  understand?  Her  eyes  were  blue, 
Grissy,  big  and  blue — and  she  was  perfectly  stunning." 

"There  are  winks  and  winks,  Ardy,"  observed  Gris- 
wold  with  a  judicial  air.  "There  is  the  wink  inadver 
tent,  to  which  no  meaning  can  be  attached.  There  is 
the  wink  deceptive,  usually  given  behind  the  back  of  a 
third  person,  and  a  vulgar  thing  which  we  will  not  asso 
ciate  with  your  girl  of  the  Alexandra.  And  then,  to  be 
brief,  there  is  the  wink  of  mischief,  which  is  observed 
occasionally  in  persons  of  exceptional  bringing  up. 
There  are  moments  in  the  lives  of  all  of  us  when  we  lose 
our  grip  on  conventions — on  morality,  even.  The  psy 
chology  of  this  matter  is  very  subtle.  Here  you  are,  a 
gentleman  of  austerely  correct  life ;  here  is  a  delightful 
girl,  on  whom  you  flash  in  an  out-of-the-way  corner  of 
the  world.  And  she,  not  wholly  displeased  by  the  frank 


8    THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDAKE 

admiration  in  your  eyes — for  you  may  as  well  concede 
that  you  stared  at  her — " 

"Well,  I  suppose  I  did  look  at  her,"  admitted  Ard- 
more  reluctantly. 

"Pardonably,  no  doubt,  just  as  you  would  look  at  a 
portrait  in  a  picture  gallery,  of  course.  This  boarding- 
school  miss,  who  had  never  before  lapsed  from  absolute 
propriety,  felt  the  conventional  world  crumble  beneath 
her  as  the  train  started.  She  could  no  more  have  re 
sisted  the  temptation  to  wink  than  she  could  have  re 
fused  a  caramel  or  an  invitation  to  appear  as  best  girl 
at  a  church  wedding.  Thus  wireless  communication  is 
established  between  soul  and  soul  for  an  instant  only, 
and  then  you  are  cut  off  forever.  Perhaps,  in  the  next 
world,  Ardy — " 

Griswold  and  Ardmore  had  often  idealized  themselves 
as  hopeless  pursuers  of  the  elusive,  the  unattainable,  the 
impossible;  or  at  least  Ardmore  had,  and  Griswold  had 
entered  into  the  spirit  of  this  sort  of  thing  for  the  joy  it 
gave  Ardmore.  They  had  discussed  frequently  the  call 
of  soul  to  soul — the  quick  glance  passing  between  perfect 
strangers  in  crowded  thoroughfares,  and  had  fruitlessly 
speculated  as  to  their  proper  course  in  the  event  the  call 
seemed  imperative.  A  glance  of  the  eye  is  one  thing,  but 


TWO    GENTLEMEN    SAY    GOOD-BY          9 

it  is  quite  another  to  address  a  stranger  and  offer  eternal 
friendship.  The  two  had  agreed  that,  while,  soul-call  or 
no  soul-call,  a  gentleman  must  keep  clear  of  steamer 
flirtations,  and  avoid  even  the  most  casual  remarks  to 
strange  young  women  in  any  circumstances,  a  gentleman 
of  breeding  and  character  may  nevertheless  follow  the 
world's  long  trails  in  search  of  a  never-to-be-forgotten 
face. 

The  fact  is  that  Ardmore  was  exceedingly  shy,  and  a 
considerable  experience  of  fashionable  society  had  not 
diminished  this  shortcoming.  Griswold,  on  the  other 
hand,  had  the  Virginian's  natural  social  instinct,  but  he 
suffered  from  a  widely-diffused  impression  that  much 
learning  had  made  him  either  indifferent  or  extremely 
critical  where  women  are  concerned. 

Ardmore  shrugged  his  shoulders  and  fumbled  in  his 
coat  pockets  as  though  searching  for  ideas.  An  austere 
composure  marked  his  countenance  at  all  times,  and 
emphasized  the  real  distinction  of  his  clean-cut  features. 
His  way  of  tilting  back  his  head  and  staring  dreamily 
into  vacancy  had  established  for  him  a  reputation  for 
stupidity  that  was  wholly  undeserved. 

"Please  limit  the  discussion  to  the  present  world, 
Professor." 


10     THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

When  Ardmore  was  displeased  with  Griswold  he  called 
him  Professor,  in  a  withering  tone  that  disposed  of  the 
academic  life. 

"We  shall  limit  it  to  New  Orleans  or  the  universe,  as 
you  like." 

"I'm  disappointed  in  you,  Grissy.  You  don't  take 
this  matter  in  the  proper  spirit.  I'm  going  to  find  that 
girl,  I  tell  you." 

"I  want  you  to  find  her,  Ardy,  and  throw  yourself  at 
her  feet.  Be  it  far  from  me  to  deprive  you  of  the  joy  of 
search.  I  thoroughly  admire  your  resolute  spirit.  It 
smacks  of  the  old  heroic  times.  Nor  can  I  conceal  from 
you  my  consuming  envy.  If  a  girl  should  flatter  me 
with  a  wink  I  should  follow  her  thrice  round  the  world. 
She  should  not  elude  me  anywhere  in  the  Copernican 
system.  If  it  were  not  the  nobler  part  for  you  to  pursue 
alone,  I  should  forsake  my  professorship  and  buckle  on 
my  armor  and  follow  your  standard — 

With  the  winking  eye 
For  my  battle-cry." 

And  Griswold  hummed  the  words,  beating  time  with 
his  stick,  much  to  Ardmore's  annoyance. 

"In  my  ignorance,"  Griswold  continued,  "I  recall  but 


TWO    GENTLEMEN    SAY    GOOD-BY        11 

one  allusion  to  the  wink  in  immortal  song.  If  my  mem 
ory  serves  me,  it  is  no  less  a  soul  than  Browning  who 
sings: 

'All  heaven,  meanwhile,  condensed  into  one  eye 
Which  fears  to  lose  the  wonder,  should  it  wink.' 

You  seem  worried,  Ardy.  Does  the  wink  press  so  heav 
ily,  or  what's  the  matter?" 

"The  fact  is,  I'm  in  trouble.  My  sister  says  I've  got 
to  marry." 

"Which  sister?" 

"Mrs.  Atchison.  You  know  Nellie  ?  She's  a  nice  girl 
and  she's  a  good  sister  to  me,  but  she's  running  me  too 
hard  on  this  marrying  business.  She's  going  to  bring  a 
bunch  of  girls  down  to  Ardsley  in  a  few  days,  and  she 
says  she'll  stay  until  I  make  a  choice." 

Griswold  whistled. 

"Then,  as  we  say  in  literary  circles,  you're  up  against 
it  No  wonder  you're  beginning  to  take  notice  of  the 
frolicsome  boarding-school  girl  who  winks  at  the  world. 
I  believe  I'd  rather  take  chances  myself  with  that  ami 
able  sort  than  marry  into  your  Newport  transatlantic 
set." 

"Well,  one  thing's  certain,  Grissy.     You've  got  to 


12    THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

came  to  Ardsley  and  help  me  out  while  those  people  arc 
there.  Nellie  likes  you:  she  thinks  you're  terribly  in 
tellectual  and  all  that,  and  if  you'll  throw  in  a  word  now 
and  then,  why — " 

"Why,  I  may  be  able  to  protect  you  from  the  crafts 
and  assaults  of  your  sister.  You  seem  to  forget,  Ardy, 
that  Fm  not  one  of  your  American  leisure  class.  I'm 
always  delighted  to  meet  Mrs.  Atchison,  but  I'm  a  per 
son  of  occupations.  I  have  a  consultation  in  Richmond 
to-morrow,  then  me  for  Charlottesville.  We  have  ex 
aminations  coming  on,  and,  while  I  like  to  play  with 
you,  I've  positively  got  to  work." 

"Not  if  I  endow  all  the  chairs  in  the  university! 
You've  not  only  got  to  come,  but  you're  going  to  be  there 
the  day  they  arrive." 

Thomas  Ardmore,  of  New  York  and  Ardsley,  struck 
his  heavy  stick — he  always  carried  a  heavy  stick — 
smartly  on  the  cement  platform  in  the  stress  of  his  feel 
ing.  He  was  much  shorter  than  Griswold,  to  whom  he 
was  deeply  attached — for  whom  he  had,  indeed,  the 
frank  admiration  of  a  small  boy  for  a  big  brother.  He 
sometimes  wondered  how  fully  Griswold  entered  into 
the  projects  of  adventure  which  he,  in  his  supreme  idle 
ness,  planned  and  proposed ;  but  he  himself  had  never 


TWO    GENTLEMEN    SAY   GOOD-BY        13 

been  quite  ready  to  mount  horse  or  shake  out  sail,  and 
what  Griswold  had  said  about  indecision  rankled  in  his 
heart.  He  was  sorry  now  that  he  had  told  of  this  new 
enterprise  to  which  he  had  pledged  himself,  but  he  grew 
lenient  toward  Griswold's  lack  of  sympathy  as  he  re 
flected  that  the  quest  of  a  winking  girl  was  rather  be 
neath  the  dignity  of  a  gentleman  wedded  not  merely  to 
the  law,  but  to  the  austere  teaching  profession  as  well. 
In  his  heart  he  forgave  Griswold,  but  he  was  all  the  more 
resolved  to  address  himself  stubbornly  to  his  pursuit  of 
the  deity  of  the  car  Alexandra,  for  only  by  finding  her 
could  he  establish  himself  in  Griswold's  eyes  as  a  man  of 
action,  capable  of  carrying  through  a  scheme  requiring 
cleverness  and  tact. 

Ardmore  was  almost  painfully  rich,  but  the  usual 
diversions  of  the  wealthy  did  not  appeal  to  him,  and, 
having  exhausted  foreign  travel,  he  spent  much  time  on 
his  estate  in  the  North  Carolina  hills,  where  he  could 
ride  all  day  on  his  own  land,  and  where  he  read  pro 
digiously  in  a  huge  library  that  he  had  assembled  with 
special  reference  to  works  on  piracy,  a  subject  that  had 
attracted  him  from  early  youth. 

It  was  this  hobby  that  had  sealed  his  friendship  with 
Griswold,  who  had  relinquished  the  practice  of  law,  after 


14    THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

a  brilliant  start  in  his  native  city  of  Richmond,  to  ac 
cept  the  associate  professorship  of  admiralty  in  the  law 
department  of  the  University  of  Virginia.  Marine  law 
had  a  particular  fascination  for  Griswold  from  its  essen 
tially  romantic  character.  As  a  law  student  he  had  read 
all  the  decisions  in  admiralty  that  the  libraries  afforded, 
and,  though  faithfully  serving  the  university,  he  still 
occasionally  accepted  retainers  in  admiralty  cases  of  un 
usual  importance.  His  lectures  were  constantly  attend 
ed  by  students  in  other  departments  of  the  university 
for  sheer  pleasure  in  Griswold's  racy  and  entertaining 
exposition  of  the  laws  touching  the  libeling  of  schooners 
and  the  recovery  of  jettisoned  cargoes.  Henry  Maine 
Griswold  was  tall,  slender  and  dark,  and  he  hovered 
recklessly,  as  he  might  have  put  it,  on  the  brink  of 
thirty.  He  stroked  his  thin  brown  mustache  habitually, 
as  though  to  hide  the  smile  that  played  about  his  hu 
morous  mouth — a  smile  that  lay  even  more  obscurely  in 
his  fine  brown  eyes.  He  did  violence  to  the  academic 
traditions  by  dressing  with  metropolitan  care,  gray  being 
his  prevailing  note,  though  his  scarfs  ventured  upon 
bold  color  schemes  that  interested  his  students  almost  as 
much  as  his  lectures.  The  darkest  fact  of  his  life — and 
one  shared  with  none — was  his  experiments  in  verse. 


TWO    GENTLEMEN    SAY    GOOD-BY        15 

From  his  undergraduate  days  he  had  written  occasion 
ally  a  little  song,  quite  for  his  own  pleasure  in  versify 
ing,  and  to  a  little  sheaf  of  these  things  in  manuscript 
he  still  added  a  few  verses  now  and  then. 

"Don't  worry,  Ardy,"  he  was  saying  to  his  friend  as 
"all  aboard"  was  called,  "and  don't  be  reckless.  When 
you  get  through  looking  for  the  winking  eye,  come  up 
to  Charlottesville  and  we'll  plan  The  True  Life  of 
Captain  Kidd  that  is  some  day  going  to  make  us  fa 
mous." 

"I'll  wire  you  later,"  replied  Ardmore,  clinging  to  his 
friend's  hand  a  moment  after  the  train  began  to  move. 
Griswold  leaned  out  of  the  vestibule  to  wave  a  last  fare 
well  to  Ardmore,  and  something  very  kind  and  gentle 
and  good  to  see  shone  in  the  lawyer's  eyes.  He  went 
into  the  car  smiling,  for  he  called  Ardmore  his  best 
friend,  and  he  was  amused  by  his  last  words,  which  were 
always  Ardmore's  last  in  their  partings,  and  were 
followed  usually  by  telegrams  about  the  most  prepos 
terous  things,  or  suggestions  for  romantic  adventures, 
or  some  new  hypothesis  touching  Captain  Kidd  and  his 
buried  treasure.  Ardmore  never  wrote  letters;  he  al 
ways  telegraphed,  and  he  enjoyed  filing  long,  mysterious 
and  expensive  messages  with  telegraph  operators  in  ob- 


16     THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

scure  places  where  a  scrupulous  ten  words  was  the  frugal 
limit. 

Griswold  lighted  a  cigar  and  opened  the  afternoon 
Atlanta  papers  in  the  smoking  compartment.  His  eye 
was  caught  at  once  by  imperative  head-lines.  It  is  not 
too  much  to  say  that  the  eye  of  the  continent  was  ar 
rested  that  evening  by  the  amazing  disclosure,  now 
tardily  reaching  the  public,  that  something  unusual  had 
occurred  at  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Cotton  Planters' 
Association  at  New  Orleans  on  the  previous  day.  Every 
copy-reader  and  editor,  ever)'  paragrapher  on  every  news 
paper  in  the  land  had  smiled  and  reached  for  a  fresh 
pencil  as  a  preliminary  bulletin  announced  the  passing 
of  harsh  words  between  the  Governor  of  North  Carolina 
and  the  Governor  of  South  Carolina.  It  may  as  well  be 
acknowledged  here  that  just  what  really  happened  at  the 
Cotton  Planters'  convention  will  never  be  known,  for 
this  particular  meeting  was  held  behind  closed  doors, 
and  as  the  two  governors  were  honored  guests  of  the 
association,  no  member  has  ever  breathed  a  word  touch 
ing  an  incident  that  all  most  sincerely  deplored.  Indeed, 
no  hint  of  it  would  ever  have  reached  the  public  had  it 
not  been  that  both  gentlemen  hurriedly  left  the  conven 
tion  hall,  refused  to  keep  their  appointments  to  speak  at 


TWO    GENTLEMEN    SAY    GOOD-BY        17 

the  banquet  that  followed  the  business  meetings,  and 
were  reported  to  have  taken  the  first  trains  for  their 
respective  capitals.  It  was  whispered  by  a  few  persons 
that  the  Governor  of  South  Carolina  had  taken  a  fling 
at  the  authenticity  of  the  Mecklenburg  Declaration  of 
Independence ;  it  was  rumored  in  other  quarters  that  the 
Governor  of  North  Carolina  was  the  aggressor,  he  hav 
ing — it  was  said — declared  that  a  people  (meaning  the 
freemen  of  the  commonwealth  of  South  Carolina)  who 
were  not  intelligent  enough  to  raise  their  own  hay,  and 
who,  moreover,  bought  that  article  in  Ohio,  were  not 
worth  the  ground  necessary  for  their  decent  interment. 
It  is  not  the  purpose  of  this  chronicle  either  to  seek  the 
truth  of  what  passed  between  the  two  governors  at  New 
Orleans,  or  to  discuss  the  points  of  history  and  agricul 
ture  raised  in  the  statements  just  indicated.  As  every 
one  knows,  the  twentieth  of  May  (or  was  it  the  thirty- 
first!),  1775,  is  solemnly  observed  in  North  Carolina 
as  the  day  on  which  the  patriots  of  Mecklenburg  County 
severed  the  relations  theretofore  existing  between  them 
and  his  Majesty,  King  George  the  Third.  Equally  well 
known  is  the  fact  that  in  South  Carolina,  it  is  an  ar 
ticle  of  religious  faith  that  on  that  twentieth  day  of 
May,  1775,  the  citizens  of  Mecklenburg  County,  North 


18    THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

Carolina,  cheered  the  English  flag  and  adopted  resolu 
tions  reaffirming  their  ancient  allegiance  to  the  British 
crown.  This  controversy  and  the  inadequacy  of  the 
South  Carolina  hay  crop  must  be  passed  on  to  the 
pamphleteers,  with  such  other  vexed  questions  as  An 
drew  Jackson's  birthplace — more  debated  than  Homer's 
and  not  to  be  carelessly  conceded  to  the  strutting  sons 
of  Waxhaw. 

Griswold  read  of  the  New  Orleans  incident  with  a 
smile,  while  several  fellow-passengers  discussed  it  in  a 
tone  of  banter.  One  of  them,  a  gentleman  from  Missis 
sippi,  presently  produced  a  flask,  which  he  offered  to  the 
others,  remarking,  "As  the  Governor  of  North  Carolina 
said  to  the  Governor  of  South  Carolina,"  which  was,  to 
be  sure,  pertinent  to  the  hour  and  the  discussion,  and 
bristling  with  fresh  significance. 

"They  were  both  in  Atlanta,  this  morning,"  said  the 
man  with  the  flask,  "and  they  would  have  been  traveling 
together  on  this  train  if  they  hadn't  met  in  the  ticket 
office  and  nearly  exploded  with  rage." 

The  speaker  was  suddenly  overcome  with  his  own 
humor,  and  slapped  his  knee  and  laughed ;  then  they  all 
laughed,  including  Griswold. 

"One  ought  to  have  taken  the  lower  berth  and  one  the 


TWO    GENTLEMEN    SAY    GOOD-BY        19 

upper  to  make  it  perfect,"  observed  an  Alabama 
man.  "I  wonder  when  they'll  get  home." 

"They'll  probably  both  walk  to  be  sure  they  don't  take 
the  same  train,"  suggested  a  commercial  traveler  from 
Cincinnati,  who  had  just  come  from  New  Orleans. 
"Their  friends  are  doing  their  best  to  keep  them  apart. 
They  both  have  a  reputation  for  being  quick  on  the 
trigger." 

"Bosh!"  exclaimed  Griswold.  "I  dare  say  it's  all  a 
newspaper  story.  There's  no  knife-and-pistol  nonsense 
in  the  South  any  more.  They'll  both  go  home  and  at 
tend  to  their  business,  and  that  will  be  the  last  of  it. 
The  people  of  North  Carolina  ought  to  be  proud  of 
Dangerfield;  he's  one  of  the  best  governors  they  ever 
had.  And  Osborne  is  a  first-class  man,  too,  one  of  the 
old  Palmetto  families." 

"I  guess  they're  both  all  right,"  drawled  the  Missis- 
sippian,  settling  his  big  black  hat  more  firmly  on  his 
head.  "Dangerfield  spoke  in  our  town  at  the  state  fair 
last  year,  and  he's  one  of  the  best  talkers  I  ever  heard." 

Therefore,  as  no  one  appeared  to  speak  for  the  gov 
ernor  of  South  Carolina,  the  drummer  volunteered  to 
vouch  for  his  oratorical  gifts,  on  the  strength  of  an  ad 
dress  lately  delivered  by  Governor  Osborne  in  a  lecture 


20     THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

course  at  Cincinnati.  Being  pressed  by  the  Missis- 
sippian,  he  admitted  that  he  had  not  himself  attended 
the  lecture,  but  he  had  heard  it  warmly  praised  by  com 
petent  critics. 

The  Mississippian  had  resented  Griswold's  rejection 
of  the  possibility  of  personal  violence  between  the  gov 
ernors,  and  wished  to  return  to  the  subject. 

"It's  not  only  themselves,"  he  declared,  "but  each  man 
has  got  the  honor  of  his  state  to  defend.  Suppose,  when 
they  met  in  the  railway  office  at  Atlanta  this  morning, 
Dangerfield  had  drawed  his  gun.  Do  you  suppose,  gen 
tlemen,  that  if  North  Carolina  had  drawed  South  Caro 
lina  wouldn't  have  followed  suit  ?  I  declare,  young  man, 
you  don't  know  what  you're  talking  about.  If  Bill 
Dangerfield  won't  fight,  I  don't  know  fightin'  blood 
when  I  see  it." 

"Well,  sir,"  began  the  Alabama  man,  "my  brother- 
in-law  in  Charleston  went  to  college  with  Osborne,  and 
many^s  the  time  I've  heard  him  say  that  he  was  sorry 
for  the  man  who  woke  up  Charlie  Osborne.  Charlie — 
I  mean  the  governor,  you  understand — is  one  of  these 
fellows  who  never  says  much,  but  when  you  get  him 
going  he's  terrible  to  witness.  Bill  Dangerfield  may  be 
Governor  of  North  Caroline,  and  I  reckon  he  is,  but  he 


TWO    GENTLEMEN    SAY    GOOD-BY        21 

ain't  Governor  of  South  Caroline,  not  by  a  damned  good 
deal." 

The  discussion  had  begun  to  bore  Griswold,  and  he 
went  back  to  his  own  section,  having  it  in  mind  to  revise 
a  lecture  he  was  preparing  on  The  Right  of  Search  on 
the  High  Seas.  It  had  grown  dark,  and  the  car  was 
brilliantly  lighted.  There  were  not  more  than  half  a 
dozen  other  persons  in  his  sleeper,  and  these  were  widely 
scattered.  Having  taken  an  inventory  of  his  belongings 
to  be  sure  they  were  all  at  hand,  he  became  conscious  of 
the  presence  of  a  young  lady  in  the  opposite  section.  In 
the  seat  behind  her  sat  an  old  colored  woman  in  snowy 
cap  and  apron,  who  was  evidently  the  young  lady's 
servant.  Griswold  was  aware  that  this  dusky  duenna 
bristled  and  frowned  and  pursed  her  lips  in  the  way  of 
her  picturesque  kind  as  he  glanced  at  her,  as  though  his 
presence  were  an  intrusion  upon  her  mistress,  who 
sat  withdrawn  to  the  extreme  corner  of  her  section, 
seeking  its  fullest  seclusion,  with  her  head  against  a 
pillow,  and  the  tips  of  her  suede  shoes  showing  under 
her  gray  traveling  skirt  on  the  further  half  of  the  sec 
tion.  She  twirled  idly  in  her  fingers  a  half-opened 
white  rosebud — a  fact  unimportant  in  itself,  but  des 
tined  to  linger  long  in  Griswold's  memory.  The  pillow 


22     THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

afforded  the  happiest  possible  background  for  her  brown 
head,  her  cheek  bright  with  color,  and  a  profile  clear-cut, 
and  just  now — an  impression  due,  perhaps,  to  the  slight 
quiver  of  her  nostrils  and  the  compression  of  her  lips — 
seemingly  disdainful  of  the  world.  Griswold  hung  up 
his  hat  and  opened  his  portfolio ;  but  the  presence  of  the 
girl  suggested  Ardmore  and  his  ridiculous  quest  of  the 
alluring  blue  eye,  and  it  was  refreshing  to  recall  Ard- 
more  and  his  ways.  Here  was  one  man,  at  least,  in  this 
twentieth  century,  at  whose  door  the  Time  Spirit  might 
thump  and  thunder  in  vain. 

The  black  woman  rose  and  ministered  to  her  mistress, 
muttering  in  kind  monotone  consolatory  phrases  from 
which  "chile"  and  "honey"  occasionally  reached  Gris- 
wold's  ears.  The  old  mammy  produced  from  a  bag 
several  toilet  bottles,  a  fresh  handkerchief,  a  hand  mirror 
and  a  brush,  which  she  arranged  in  the  empty  seat.  The 
silver  trinkets  glowed  brightly  against  the  blue  up 
holstery. 

"Thank  you,  Aunt  Phoebe,  I'm  feeling  much  better. 
Just  let  me  alone  now,  please." 

The  girl  put  aside  the  white  rose  for  a  moment  and 
breathed  deeply  of  the  vinaigrette,  whose  keen,  pungent 
odor  stole  across  the  aisle  to  Griswold.  She  bent  for- 


TWO    GENTLEMEN    SAY   GOOD-BY       23 

ward,  took  up  the  hand  mirror,  and  brushed  the  hair 
away  from  her  forehead  with  half  a  dozen  light  strokes. 
She  touched  her  handkerchief  to  the  cologne  flask, 
passed  it  across  her  eyes,  and  then  took  up  the  rose  again 
and  settled  back  with  a  little  sigh  of  relief.  In  her  new 
upright  position  her  gaze  rested  upon  Griswold's  news 
papers,  which  he  had  flung  down  on  the  empty  half  of 
his  section.  One  of  them  had  fallen  open  and  lay  with 
its  outer  page  staring  with  the  bold  grin  of  display  type. 

TWO  GOVERNORS  AT  WAR! 

WHAT  DID  THE  GOVERNOR  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA  SAY 

TO  THE  GOVERNOR  OF  SOUTH  CAROLINA  ? 

The  color  deepened  in  the  girl's  face ;  a  slight  frown 
gathered  in  her  smooth  forehead;  then  she  called  the 
colored  woman  and  a  brief  colloquy  followed  between 
them.  In  a  moment  Griswold  was  addressed  in  a  tone 
and  manner  at  once  condescending  and  deferential. 

"If  yo'  please,  suh,  would  yo'  all  'low  my  mistus  t* 
look  at  yo'  newspapahs  ?" 

"Certainly.    Take  them  along." 

And  Griswold,  recalled  from  a  passage  in  his  lecture 
that  dealt  with  contraband  munitions  of  war,  handed 
over  the  newspapers,  and  saw  them  pass  into  the  hands 


24    THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

of  his  fellow-passenger.  He  had  read  the  newspapers 
pretty  thoroughly,  and  knew  the  distribution  of  their 
contents,  so  that  he  noted  with  surprise  the  girl's  imme 
diate  absorption  in  the  telegrams  from  New  Orleans 
relating  to  the  difficulty  between  the  two  governors. 

As  she  read  she  lost,  he  thought,  something  of  her 
splendid  color,  and  at  one  point  in  her  reading  her  face 
went  white  for  a  moment,  and  Griswold  saw  the  paper 
wrinkle  under  the  tightening  grasp  of  her  hands. 
The  tidings  from  New  Orleans  had  undoubtedly  aroused 
her  indignation,  which  expressed  itself  further  in  the 
rigid  lines  of  her  figure  as  she  read,  and  in  the  gradual 
lifting  of  her  head,  as  though  with  some  new  resolution. 
She  seemed  to  lose  account  of  her  surroundings,  and 
several  times  Griswold  was  quite  sure  that  he  heard  her 
half  exclaim,  "Preposterous!  Infamous!" 

When  she  had  finished  the  New  Orleans  telegrams 
she  cast  the  offending  newspapers  from  her,  then,  recall 
ing  herself,  summoned  the  black  woman,  and  returned 
them  to  Griswold,  the  dusky  agent  expressing  the  elabo 
rate  thanks  of  her  race  for  his  courtesy.  The  girl  had 
utterly  ignored  Griswold,  and  she  now  pulled  down  the 
curtain  at  her  elbow  with  a  snap  and  turned  her  face 
away  from  him. 


TWO    GENTLEMEN    SAY    GOOD-BY        25 

Professor  Griswold's  eyes  wandered  repeatedly  from 
his  manuscript  to  the  car  ceiling,  then  furtively  to  the 
uncompromisingly  averted  shoulder  and  head  of  the 
young  lady,  then  back  to  his  lecture  notes,  until  he  was 
weary  of  the  process.  He  wished  Ardmore  were  at  hand, 
for  his  friend  would  find  here  a  case  that  promised  much 
better  than  the  pursuit  to  which  he  had  addressed  him 
self.  The  girl  in  this  instance  was  at  least  a  self-respect 
ing  lady,  not  given  to  flirtations  with  chance  travelers, 
and  the  brown  eyes,  of  which  Griswold  had  caught  one 
or  two  fleeting  glimpses,  were  clearly  not  of  the  winking 
sort.  The  attendance  of  the  black  mammy  distinguished 
the  girl  as  a  person  of  quality,  whose  travels  were 
stamped  with  an  austere  propriety. 

Her  silver  toilet  articles  testified  to  an  acquaintance 
with  the  comforts  if  not  the  luxuries  of  life.  The  alli 
gator-hide  suit-case  thrust  under  the  seat  bore  the 
familiar  label  of  a  Swiss  hotel  where  Griswold  had  once 
spent  a  week,  and  spoke  of  the  girl's  acquaintance  with 
an  ampler  world.  When  Phoebe  had  brought  it  forth  the 
initials  "B.  0."  in  small  black  letters  suggested  Balti 
more  and  Ohio  to  Griswold's  lazy  speculations,  where 
upon  he  reflected  that  while  Baltimore  was  plausible, 
the  black  servant  eliminated  Ohio;  and  as  every  Vir- 


26     THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

ginian  knows  every  other  Virginian,  he  tried  to  identify 
her  with  Old  Dominion  family  names  beginning  with 
0,  but  without  result.  He  finally  concluded  that,  while 
her  name  might  be  Beatrice  or  Barbara,  it  could  not  be 
Bessie,  and  he  decided  that  very  likely  the  suit-case  be 
longed  to  her  brother  Benjamin,  in  whom  he  felt  no 
interest  whatever. 

He  went  out  to  supper,  secured  the  only  remaining 
table  for  two,  and  was  giving  his  order  when  the  young 
lady  appeared.  She  had  donned  her  hat,  and  as  she 
stood  a  moment  in  the  entrance,  surveying  the  line  of 
tables,  her  distinction  was  undeniable.  There  were  but 
two  vacant  places  in  the  car,  one  facing  Griswold,  the 
other  across  the  aisle  at  a  larger  table  where  three  men 
were  engaged  in  animated  discussion.  The  girl  viewed 
the  prospect  with  evident  disappointment  as  the  waiter 
drew  out  the  vacant  chair  at  Griswold's  table.  She  car 
ried  herself  bravely,  but  wore  still  a  triste  air  that 
touched  Griswold's  sympathy.  He  rose,  told  the  waiter 
that  he  would  sit  at  the  other  table,  and  the  girl  mur 
mured  her  thanks  with  a  forlorn  little  smile  as  she  took 
his  seat. 

The  appearance  of  Griswold  aroused  the  Mississippian 
to  a  renewal  of  the  discussion  of  the  Xew  Orleans  inci- 


TWO    GENTLEMEN    SAY   GOOD-BY       27 

dent.  He  was  in  excellent  humor,  and  had  carried  to 
the  car  a  quart  bottle,  which  he  pushed  toward  Gris- 
wold: 

"As  the  Governor  of  North  Carolina  said  to  the  Gov 
ernor  of  South  Carolina — " 

"No,  thank  you/'  and  as  he  spoke  Griswold's  eyes 
fell  upon  the  girl,  and  he  saw  annoyance  written  fleet- 
ingly  on  her  face. 

"You  needn't  be  afraid  of  that  whisky.  It's  all 
right,"  the  Mississippian  protested. 

"I'm  confident  of  that;  but  some  other  time,  thank 
you." 

"Well,  sir,"  the  Mississippian  declared,  "after  you 
left  us  a  while  ago  we  got  to  talking  about  Dangerfield 
and  his  trouble  with  Osborne.  There's  something  back 
of  this  rumpus.  You  see,  if  they  lived  in  the  same  state 
you  might  account  for  a  fierce  rivalry  between  them. 
Both  of  'em,  for  example,  might  have  the  senatorial 
bee  in  their  bonnets ;  but  either  one  of  'em  could  make 
the  senate  any  time  he  pleased.  I  guess  they^re  the  two 
biggest  men  in  the  South  right  now.  They're  too  big  to 
be  touchy  about  any  small  matter;  that's  why  I  reckon 
there's  something  behind  this  little  racket  over  there  at 
New  Orleans.  No  passing  remark  would  send  men  off 


28     THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

that  way,  so  wild  that  they  wouldn't  travel  on  the  same 
train  together.  Why,  gentlemen — " 

"Please  pass  the  salt/'  interposed  Griswold. 

The  Mississippian  enjoyed  the  sound  of  his  own  voice, 
which  boomed  out  above  the  noise  of  the  train  with 
broad  effects  of  dialect  that  these  types  will  not  be  asked 
to  reproduce.  Griswold's  eyes  had  again  met  those  of 
the  girl  opposite,  and  there  was,  he  felt,  a  look  of  appeal 
in  them.  The  discussion  distressed  her,  just  as  the  tele 
grams  from  New  Orleans  in  the  afternoon  papers  had 
distressed  her,  and  Griswold  began  at  once  to  entertain 
his  table  companions  with  his  views  on  a  number  of 
national  political  issues,  that  were  as  vital  to  Arizona 
or  Wyoming  as  to  the  Carolinas.  He  told  stories  to 
illustrate  his  points,  and  told  them  so  well  that  his  three 
companions  forgot  the  estrangement  of  the  belligerent 
governors. 

Griswold  ran  on  in  the  low,  musical  voice  that  dis 
tinguishes  the  cultivated  Virginian  in  any  company  any 
where  in  the  world,  and  the  noisy  loquacity  of  the 
Mississippian  went  down  before  him.  He  was  so  intent 
on  holding  their  attention  that  his  dishes  were  taken 
from  him  almost  untouched.  The  others  lingered  until 
his  coffee  was  brought.  He  was  so  absorbed  that  he 


TWO    GENTLEMEN    SAY    GOOD-BY        29 

failed  to  see  the  smile  that  occasionally  passed  over  the 
girl's  face  as  some  fragment  of  one  of  his  stories  found 
its  way  to  her.  He  had  undertaken  to  deflect  the  talk 
from  a  channel  which  had,  it  seemed,  some  painful 
association  for  her,  but  he  had  done  more  in  unwittingly 
diverting  her  own  thoughts  by  his  droll  humor.  He  did 
not  cease  until  she  had  left  the  car,  whereupon  he  fol 
lowed  his  trio  of  auditors  to  the  smoking  compartment, 
and  there  suffered  the  Mississippian  to  hold  uninter 
rupted  sway. 

When  he  went  back  into  the  car  at  eleven  o'clock  he 
found  the  girl  and  her  maid  still  sitting  in  their  sec 
tions,  though  most  of  the  other  berths,  including  his 
own,  had  been  made  up.  The  train  was  slowing  down, 
and,  wishing  a  breath  of  air  before  retiring,  he  went  to 
the  rear  platform  of  the  sleeper,  which  was  the  last  car 
of  the  train.  The  porter  had  opened  the  door  in  the 
vestibule  to  allow  the  brakeman  to  run  back  with  his 
torpedoes.  The  baggage  car  had  developed  a  hot  box, 
and,  jumping  out,  Griswold  saw  lanterns  flashing  ahead 
where  the  trainmen  labored  with  the  sick  wheel.  The 
porter  vanished,  leaving  Griswold  alone.  The  train  had 
stopped  at  the  edge  of  a  small  town,  whose  scattered 
houses  lay  darkly  against  the  hills  beyond.  The  pint- 


30    THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

form  lamps  of  a  station  shone  a  quarter  of  a  mile  ahead. 
The  feverish  steel  yielded  reluctantly  to  treatment,  and 
Griswold  went  forward  and  watched  the  men  at  work 
for  a  few  minutes,  then  returned  to  the  end  of  the  train. 
He  swung  himself  into  the  vestibule  and  leaned  upon 
the  guard  rail,  gazing  down  the  track  toward  the  brake- 
man's  lantern.  Then  he  grew  impatient  at  the  con 
tinued  delay  and  dropped  down  again,  pacing  back  and 
forth  in  the  road-bed  behind  the  becalmed  train.  The 
night  was  overcast,  with  hints  of  rain  in  the  air,  and  a 
little  way  from  the  rear  lights  it  was  pitch  dark.  Gris 
wold  felt  sure  that  the  train  would  not  leave  without  the 
brakeman,  and  he  was  further  reassured  by  the  lanterns 
of  the  trainmen  beside  the  baggage  car.  Suddenly,  as 
he  reached  the  car  and  turned  to  retrace  his  steps,  a 
man  sprang  up,  seemingly  from  nowhere,  and  accosted 
him. 

"I  reckon  yVre  the  gov'nor,  ain't  y'u  ?" 
"Yes,  certainly,  my  man.    What  can  I  do  for  you?" 
replied  Griswold  instantly. 

"I  reckoned  it  was  y'u  when  y'u  fust  come  out  on 
the  platform.  I'm  app'inted  to  tell  y'u,  Gov'nor,  that 
if  y'u  have  Bill  Appleweight  arrested  in  South  Car*- 
lina,  y'u'll  get  something  one  of  these  days  y'u  won't 


TWO    GENTLEMEN    SAY    GOOD-BY        31 

like.  And  if  y'u  try  to  find  me  y'u'll  get  it  quicker. 
Good  night,  Gov'nor." 

"Good  night!"  stammered  Griswold. 

The  least  irony  had  crept  into  the  word  governor  as 
the  man  uttered  it  and  slipped  away  into  the  darkness. 
The  shadows  swallowed  him  up;  the  frogs  in  the  ditch 
beside  the  track  chanted  dolorously ;  then  the  locomotive 
whistled  for  the  brakeman,  whose  lantern  was  already 
bobbing  toward  the  train. 

As  Griswold  swung  himself  into  the  vestibule  the  girl 
who  had  borrowed  his  newspapers  turned  away  hur 
riedly  and  walked  swiftly  before  him  to  her  section. 
The  porter,  who  was  gathering  her  things  together,  said, 
as  she  paused  in  the  aisle  by  her  seat : 

"Beginnin'  to  get  ready,  Miss  Osbo'n.  We're  gwine 
intu  Columbia  thirty  minutes  late  all  account  dat  hot 
box." 

Griswold  passed  on  to  the  smoking  compartment  and 
lighted  a  cigar.  His  acquaintances  of  the  supper  table 
had  retired,  and  he  was  glad  to  be  alone  with  his  thoughts 
before  the  train  reached  Columbia.  He  dealt  harshly 
with  himself  for  his  stupidity  in  not  having  associated 
the  girl's  perturbation  over  the  breach  between  the  gov 
ernor  of  North  Carolina  and  the  governor  of  South 


32    THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

Carolina  with  the  initials  on  her  traveling  bag;  he  had 
been  very  dull,  but  it  was  clear  to  him  now  that  she  was 
either  the  daughter  or  some  other  near  relative  of 
Governor  Osborne.  In  a  few  minutes  she  would  leave 
the  train  at  Columbia,  where  the  governor  lived,  and, 
being  a  gentleman,  he  would  continue  on  his  way  to 
Richmond,  and  thence  to  the  university,  and  the  inci 
dent  would  be  closed.  But  Griswold  was  a  lawyer,  and 
he  had  an  old-fashioned  Southern  lawyer's  respect  for 
the  majesty  of  law.  On  the  spur  of  curiosity  or  impulse 
he  had  received  a  threatening  message  intended  for  the 
governor  of  South  Carolina,  who,  from  the  manner  of 
the  delivery  of  the  message,  had  been  expected  on  this 
train.  Griswold  argued  that  the  man  who  had  spoken  to 
him  had  been  waiting  at  the  little  station  near  which 
they  had  stopped,  in  the  hope  of  seeing  the  governor; 
that  the  waiting  messenger  had  taken  advantage  of  the 
unexpected  halt  of  the  train,  and,  further,  that  some 
suggestion  of  the  governor  in  his  own  appearance  had 
deceived  the  stranger.  He  felt  the  least  bit  guilty  at 
having  deceived  the  man,  but  it  was  now  clearly  his 
duty  to  see  that  the  governor  was  advised  of  the  threat 
that  had  been  communicated  in  so  unusual  a  manner. 
He  was  pondering  whether  he  should  do  this  in  per- 


TWO    GENTLEMEN    SAY    GOOD-BY        33 

son  or  by  letter  or  telegram,  when  the  rattle  of  the  train 
over  the  switch  frogs  in  the  Columbia,  yards  brought  him 
to  the  point  of  decision. 

The  porter  thrust  his  head  into  the  compartment. 

"Columbia,  sah.  Yo'  berth's  all  ready,  sah.  Yo'  gwine 
t'  Richmond — yes,  sah." 

His  hands  were  filled  with  the  young  lady's  luggage. 
The  lettering  on  the  suit-case  seemed,  in  a  way,  to  appeal 
to  Griswold  and  to  fix  his  determination. 

"Porter!  Put  my  things  off.  I'll  wait  here  for  the 
morning  train." 


CHAPTER    II 

THE   ABSENCE   OF   GOVERNOR   OSBORNE 

Griswold  spent  the  night  at  the  Saluda  House,  Co 
lumbia,  and  rose  in  the  morning  with  every  intention  of 
seeing  Governor  Osborne,  or  some  one  in  authority  at  his 
office,  as  soon  as  possible  and  proceeding  to  Richmond 
without  further  delay.  As  he  scanned  the  morning 
newspaper  at  breakfast  he  read  with  chagrin  this  item, 
prominently  head-lined : 

Governor  Osborne,  who  was  expected  home  from  the  Cot 
ton  Planters'  Convention  yesterday  morning  has  been 
unavoidably  detained  in  Atlanta  by  important  personal 
business.  Miss  Barbara  Osborne  arrived  last  night  and  pro 
ceeded  at  once  to  the  governor's  mansion. 

Several  matters  of  considerable  importance  await  the  gov 
ernor's  return.  Among  these  is  the  matter  of  dealing  with 
the  notorious  Bill  Appleweight.  It  is  understood  that  the 
North  Carolina  officials  are  unwilling  to  arrest  Appleweight, 
though  his  hiding-place  in  the  hills  on  the  border  near  Kil- 
dare  is  well  known.  Although  he  runs  back  and  forth  across 
the  state  line  at  pleasure,  he  is  a  North  Carolinian  beyond 
question,  and  it's  about  time  Governor  Dangerfield  took  note 
of  the  fact.  However,  the  governor  of  South  Carolina  may 
be  relied  on  to  act  with  his  usual  high  sense  of  public  duty 
in  this  matter. 

34 


THE  ABSENCE  OF  GOVERNOR  OSBORNE  35 

Professor  Griswold  was  not  pleased  to  learn  that  the 
governor  was  still  absent  from  the  capital.  He  felt  that 
he  deserved  better  luck  after  the  trouble  he  had  taken  to 
warn  the  governor.  His  conscience  had  got  the  better 
of  his  comfort — he  knew  that,  and  he  wrote  a  telegram 
to  the  law  firm  at  Richmond  with  which  he  was  con 
sultant,  asking  that  a  meeting  with  certain  clients  ar 
ranged  for  to-day  be  deferred  twenty-four  hours.  It 
was  now  Tuesday;  he  had  no  further  lectures  at  the 
university  until  the  following  Monday,  and  after  he  had 
taken  his  bearings  of  Columbia,  where  it  occurred  to 
him  he  had  not  an  acquaintance,  he  walked  toward  the 
capitol  with  a  well-formed  idea  of  seeing  the  governor's 
private  secretary — and,  if  that  person  appeared  to  be 
worthy  of  confidence,  apprising  him  of  the  governor's 
danger. 

Standing  in  the  many-pillared  portico  of  the  capitol, 
Griswold  turned  to  look  down  upon  Columbia,  a  city 
distinguished  to  the  most  casual  eye  by  streets  an  acre 
wide !  And  having  an  historical  imagination  and  a  rev 
erence  for  the  past,  Griswold  gave  himself  for  a  moment 
to  Memory,  hearing  the  tramp  of  armed  hosts,  and  the 
thunder  of  cannon,  and  seeing  flames  leap  again  in  the 
wake  of  battle.  It  was  a  glorious  day,  and  the  green  of 


36     THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

late  May  lay  like  a  soft  scarf  upon  the  city.  The  sky 
held  the  wistful  blue  of  spring.  Griswold  bared  his 
head  to  the  faint  breeze,  or  perhaps  unconsciously  he 
saluted  the  bronze  figure  of  Hampton,  who  rides  forever 
there  at  the  head  of  his  stubborn  legion.  He  turned  into 
the  capitol  with  a  little  sigh,  for  he  was  a  son  of  Vir 
ginia,  and  here,  in  this  unfamiliar  scene,  the  Past  was 
revivified,  and  he  felt  the  spell  of  things  that  were 
already  old  when  he  was  born. 

It  was  not  yet  nine  o'clock  when  he  entered  the 
governor's  office.  He  waited  in  the  reception-room,  ad 
joining  the  official  chamber,  but  the  several  desks  of  the 
clerical  staff  remained  unoccupied.  He  chafed  a  bit  as 
time  passed  and  no  one  appeared,  for  his  north-bound 
train  left  at  eleven,  and  he  could  not  fairly  be  asked  to 
waste  the  entire  day  here.  He  was  pacing  the  floor,  ex 
pecting  one  of  the  clerks  to  appear  at  any  moment,  when 
a  man  entered  hurriedly,  walked  to  the  closed  inner 
door,  shook  it  impatiently,  and  kicked  it  angrily  as  he 
turned  away.  He  was  a  short,  thick-set  man  of  thirty- 
five,  dressed  in  blue  serge,  and  his  movements  were 
quick  and  nervous.  He  growled  under  his  breath  and 
swung  round  upon  Griswold  as  though  to  tax  him  with 
responsibility  for  the  closed  door. 


THE  ABSENCE  OF  GOVERNOK  OSBORNE  37 

"Has  no  one  been  here  this  morning?"  he  demanded, 
glaring  at  the  closed  desks. 

"If  you  don't  count  me  I  should  answer  no,"  replied 
Griswold  quietly. 

"Oh!" 

The  two  gentlemen  regarded  each  other  for  a  moment, 
contemptuous  dislike  clearly  written  on  the  smaller 
man's  face,  Griswold  half -smiling  and  indifferent. 

"I  am  waiting  for  the  governor,"  remarked  Griswold, 
thinking  to  gain  information. 

"Then  you're  likely  to  wait  some  time,"  jerked  the 
other.  "The  whole  place  seems  to  be  abandoned.  I 
never  saw  such  a  lot  of  people." 

"Not  having  seen  them  myself,  I  must  reserve  judg 
ment,"  Griswold  remarked,  and  the  blue  serge  suit  flung 
out  of  the  room. 

Presently  another  figure  darkened  the  entrance,  and 
the  colored  servant  whom  Griswold  had  seen  attending 
Miss  Osborne  on  the  train  from  Atlanta  swept  into  the 
reception-room  and,  grandly  ignoring  his  presence,  sat 
down  in  a  chair  nearest  the  closed  door  of  the  inner 
chamber.  Griswold  felt  that  this  was  encouraging,  as 
implying  some  link  between  the  governor  and  his  do 
mestic  household  and  he  was  about  to  ask  the  colored 


38     THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

woman  if  she  knew  the  business  hours  of  the  office  when 
the  closed  door  opened  and  Miss  Osborne  appeared  on 
the  threshold.  The  colored  woman  rose,  and  Griswold, 
who  happened  to  be  facing  the  door  when  it  swung  open 
with  such  startling  suddenness,  stared  an  instant  and 
bowed  profoundly. 

"I  beg  your  pardon,  but  I  wish  very  much  to  see 
Governor  Osborne  or  his  secretary." 

Miss  Osborne,  in  white,  trailing  a  white  parasol  in  her 
hand,  and  with  white  roses  in  her  belt,  still  stood  half 
withdrawn  inside  the  private  office. 

"I  am  very  sorry  that  Governor  Osborne  and  his  sec 
retary  are  both  absent/'  she  answered,  and  the  two  eyed 
each  other  gravely.  Griswold  felt  that  the  brown  eyes 
into  which  he  looked  had  lately  known  tears;  but  she 
held  her  head  high,  with  a  certain  defiance,  even. 

"That  is  unfortunate.  I  stopped  here  last  night  on 
purpose  to  see  him,  and  now  I  fear  that  I  must  leave — " 
and  he  smiled  the  Griswold  smile,  which  was  one  of  the 
secrets  of  his  popularity  at  the  university — "I  must 
leave  Columbia  in  a  very  few  minutes." 

"The  office  does  not  keep  very  early  hours,"  remarked 
the  girl,  "but  some  one  will  certainly  be  here  in  a 
moment.  I  am  sorry  you  have  had  to  wait." 


THE  ABSENCE  OF  GOVERNOR  OSBORNE  39 

She  had  not  changed  her  position,  and  Griswold  rather 
hoped  she  would  not,  for  the  door  framed  her  perfectly, 
and  the  sunlight  from  the  inner  windows  emphasized 
the  whiteness  of  the  snowy  gown  she  wore.  Her  straw 
hat  was  shaped  like  a  soldier's  campaign  hat,  with  sides 
pinned  up,  the  top  dented,  and  a  single  feather  thrust 
into  the  side. 

"It  was  not  I"  said  Griswold,  "who  so  rudely  shook 
the  door.  I  beg  that  you  will  acquit  me  of  that  vio 
lence." 

The  girl  did  not,  however,  respond  to  his  smile.  She 
poked  the  floor  with  her  parasol  a  moment,  then  raised 
her  head  and  asked : 

"Who  was  it,  if  you  please?" 

"A  gentleman  with  a  brown  beard,  a  red  necktie,  and 
a  bad  disposition/' 

"I  thought  as  much,"  she  said,  half  to  herself,  and 
her  eyes  were  bent  again  upon  the  point  of  her  parasol, 
with  which  she  was  tracing  a  design  in  the  rug.  She 
lifted  her  head  with  the  abruptness  of  quick  decision, 
and  looked  straight  at  Griswold.  The  negress  had  with 
drawn  to  the  outer  door,  by  which  she  sat  with  sphinx- 
like  immovability. 

"I  am  Miss  Osborne.    Governor  Osborne  is  my  father. 


40     THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

Would  you  mind  telling  me  whether  your  business  with 
my  father  is — " 

She  hesitated,  and  her  eyes  met  Griswold's. 

"Miss  Osborne,  as  I  have  no  acquaintances  here,  let 
me  introduce  myself.  My  name  is  Griswold.  My  home 
is  Charlottesville.  Pardon  me,  but  you  and  I  were 
fellow-passengers  from  Atlanta  yesterday  evening.  I  am 
unacquainted  with  your  father,  and  I  have  no  business 
with  him  except — " 

He  was  not  yet  clear  in  his  mind  whether  to  tell  her 
that  her  father's  life  was  threatened;  it  did  not  seem 
fair  to  alarm  her  when  he  was  powerless  to  help;  but 
as  he  weighed  the  question  the  girl  came  out  into  the 
reception-room  and  sat  down  near  the  window. 

"Won't  you  have  a  seat,  Mr.  Griswold?  May  I  ask 
you  again  whether  you  know  the  gentleman  who  came 
in  here  and  beat  the  door  a  while  ago  ?" 

"I  never  saw  him  before  in  my  life." 

"That  is  very  well.  And  now,  Mr.  Griswold,  I  am 
going  to  ask  you  to  tell  me,  if  you  will,  just  what  it  is 
you  wish  to  say  to  my  father." 

She  was  very  earnest,  and  the  request  she  made  rang 
the  least  bit  imperiously.  She  now  held  the  white  para- 


THE  ABSENCE  OF  GOVERNOR  OSBORNE  41 

sol  across  her  lap  in  the  tight  clasp  of  her  white-gloved 
hands. 

"I  should  not  hesitate — "  began  Griswold,  still  uncer 
tain  what  to  do. 

"You  need  not  hesitate  in  the  fear  that  you  may 
alarm  me.  I  think  I  know" — and  she  half -smiled  now — 
"I  think  perhaps  I  know  what  it  is." 

"My  reason  for  wishing  to  see  your  father  is,  then,  to 
warn  him  that  if  a  criminal  named  Appleweight  is 
brought  back  from  his  hiding-place  on  the  North  Caro 
lina  frontier,  and  tried  for  his  crimes  in  South  Carolina, 
the  governor  of  that  state,  your  father,  will  be  made  to 
suffer  by  Appleweight's  friends." 

"That  is  what  I  thought,"  said  the  girl,  slowly  nod 
ding  her  head. 

"And  now,  to  be  quite  honest  about  it,  Miss  Osborne, 
I  must  confess  that  I  received  this  warning  last  night 
from  a  man  who  believed  me  to  be  the  governor.  To 
tell  the  truth,  I  told  him  I  was  the  governor !" 

The  girl's  eyes  made  a  fresh  inventory  of  Griswold, 
then  she  laughed  for  the  first  time — a  light  laugh  of 
honest  mirth  that  would  not  be  gainsaid.  The  beautiful 
color  deepened  in  her  cheeks;  her  eyes  lighted  merrily, 


42    THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

as  though  at  the  drollery  of  Griswold  standing,  so  to 
speak,  in  loco  parent  is. 

"I  have  my  own  confession  to  make.  I  heard  what 
you  said  to  that  man.  I  had  gone  to  the  rear  platform 
to  see  what  was  the  matter.  The  stop  there  in  that  pre 
posterous  place  seemed  interminable.  You  must  have 
known  that  I  listened.7' 

"I  didn't  suppose  you  heard  what  that  man  said  to 
me  or  what  I  said  to  him.  I  don't  know  how  I  came  to 
palm  myself  off  as  the  governor — I  am  not  in  the  habit 
of  doing  such  things,  but  it  was  due,  I  think,  to  the  fact 
that  I  had  just  been  saying  to  a  friend  of  mine  at  At 
lanta— " 

He  ceased  speaking,  realizing  that  what  he  might 
have  said  to  Ardmore  was  not  germane  to  the  point  at 
issue.  His  responsibility  for  the  life  and  security  of 
Governor  Osborne  of  the  sovereign  state  of  South  Caro 
lina  was  at  an  end,  and  he  was  entering  upon  a  social 
chat  with  Governor  Osborne's  daughter.  Some  such 
thought  must  have  passed  through  her  mind.,  too,  for 
she  straightened  herself  in  her  chair  and  dropped  the 
point  of  her  parasol  to  the  floor.  But  she  was  the  least 
bit  curious,  in  spite  of  herself.  The  young  man  before 
her,  who  held  his  hat  and  gloves  so  quietly  and  who 


THE  ABSENCE  OF  GOVERNOR  OSBORNE    43 

spoke  with  so  nice  a  deference  in  a  voice  so  musical, 
was  beyond  question  a  gentleman,  and  he  had  stopped 
at  Columbia  to  render  her  father  a  service.  There  was 
no  reason  why  she  should  not  hear  what  he  had  said  to 
his  friend  at  Atlanta. 

"What  had  you  been  saying,  Mr.  Griswold  ?" 
"Oh,  really  nothing  after  all!  I'm  ashamed  of  it 
now !  But  he's  the  most  amusing  person,  with  nothing 
to  do  but  to  keep  himself  amused.  We  discuss  many 
daring  projects,  but  we  are  never  equal  to  them.  I  had 
just  been  telling  him  that  we  were  incapable  of  action ; 
that  while  we  plan  our  battles  the  foe  is  already  break 
ing  down  the  outer  defenses  and  beating  in  the  gates. 
You  see,  we  are  both  very  ridiculous  at  times,  and  we 
talk  that  sort  of  idiocy  to  keep  up  our  spirits.  And 
having  berated  my  friend  for  his  irresolution,  I  seized 
the  first  opportunity  to  prove  my  own  capacity  for  meet 
ing  emergencies.  The  man  flattered  me  with  the  as 
sumption  that  I  was  the  governor  of  South  Carolina, 
and  I  weakly  fell." 

^Distress  was  again  written  in  Miss  Osborne's  face. 
She  had  paid  little  heed  to  the  latter  half  of  Griswold's 
recital,  though  she  kept  her  eyes  fixed  gravely  upon  him. 
In  a  moment  the  gentleman  in  blue  serge  who  had 


44    THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

manifested  so  much  feeling  over  the  governor's  absence 
strode  again  into  the  room. 

"Ah,  Miss  Osborne,  so  you  are  back !" 

He  bowed  over  the  girl's  hand  with  a  great  deal  of 
manner,  then  glanced  at  once  toward  the  door  of  the 
private  office. 

"Hasn't  your  father  come  in  yet?  I  have  been  look 
ing  for  him  since  eight  o'clock." 

"My  father  is  not  home  yet,  Mr.  Bosworth." 

"Not  home!  Do  you  mean  to  say  that  he  won't  be 
hereto-day?" 

"I  hardly  expect  him,"  replied  the  girl  calmly.  ffVery 
likely  he  will  be  at  home  to-night  or  in  the  morning." 

Griswold  had  walked  away  out  of  hearing ;  but  he  felt 
that  the  girl  purposely  raised  her  voice  so  that  he  might 
hear  what  she  said. 

"I  must  know  where  he  is ;  there's  an  important  mat 
ter  waiting — a  very  serious  matter  it  may  prove  for  him 
if  he  isn't  here  to-day  to  pass  on  it.  I  must  wire  him 
at  once/' 

"Very  good.  You  had  better  do  so,  Mr.  Bosworth. 
He's  at  the  Peach  Tree  Club,  Atlanta." 

"Atlanta !  Do  you  mean  to  say  that  he  isn't  even  in 
this  state  to-day?" 


THE  ABSENCE  OP  GOVERNOR  OSBORNE   45 

"No,  Mr.  Bosworth,  and  I  advise  you  to  telegraph 
him  immediately  if  your  business  is  so  urgent." 

"It  isn't  my  business,  Barbara;  it's  the  state's  busi 
ness  ;  it's  your  father's  business,  and  if  he  isn't  here  to 
attend  to  it  by  to-morrow  at  the  latest,  it  will  go  hard 
with  him.  He  has  enemies  who  will  construe  his  absence 
as  meaning — " 

He  spoke  rapidly,  with  rising  anger,  but  some  gesture 
from  the  girl  arrested  him,  and  he  turned  frowningly  to 
see  Griswold  calmly  intent  upon  an  engraving  at  the 
further  end  of  the  room.  The  colored  woman  was 
dozing  in  her  chair.  Before  Bosworth  could  resume,  the 
girl  spoke,  her  voice  again  raised  so  that  every  word 
reached  Griswold. 

"If  you  refer  to  the  Appleweight  case,  I  must  tell  you, 
Mr.  Bosworth,  that  I  have  all  confidence  that  my  father 
will  act  whenever  he  sees  fit." 

"But  the  people — " 

"My  father  is  not  afraid  of  the  people/'  said  the  girl 
quietly. 

"But  you  don't  understand,  Barbara,  how  much  is  at 
stake  here.  If  some  action  isn't  taken  in  that  matter 
within  twenty-four  hours  your  father  will  be  branded  as 
a  coward  by  every  newspaper  in  the  state.  You  seem  to 


46     THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

take  it  pretty  coolly,  but  it  won't  be  a  trifling  matter 
for  him." 

"I  believe/'  replied  the  girl,  rising,  "that  you  have 
said  all  that  I  care  to  hear  from  you  now  or  at  any  fur 
ther  time,  Mr.  Bosworth,  about  this  or  any  other  matter." 

"But,  Barbara—" 

Miss  Osborne  turned  her  back  and  walked  to  the  win 
dow.  Bosworth  stared  a  moment,  then  rushed  angrily 
from  the  room.  Griswold  abandoned  his  study  of  the 
picture,  and  gravely  inclined  his  head  as  Bosworth 
passed.  Then  he  waited  a  minute.  The  girl  still  stood 
at  the  window,  and  there  was,  Griswold  felt,  something 
a  little  forlorn  in  her  figure.  It  was  quite  time  that  he 
was  off  if  he  caught  his  train  for  Richmond.  He  crossed 
the  room,  and  as  he  approached  the  window  Miss  Os 
borne  turned  quickly. 

"It  was  kind  of  you  to  wait.  That  man  is  the  state's 
attorney-general.  You  doubtless  heard  what  he  said  to 
me." 

"Yes,  Miss  Osborne,  I  could  not  help  hearing.  I  did 
not  leave,  because  I  wished  to  say — " 

The  associate  professor  of  admiralty  in  the  depart 
ment  of  law  of  the  University  of  Virginia  hesitated  and 
was  lost.  Miss  Osborne's  eyes  were  brown,  with  that 


THE  ABSENCE  OF  GOVEHNOK  OSBORNE    47 

hint  of  bronze,  in  certain  lights,  that  is  the  distinctive 
possession  of  the  blessed.  Health  and  spirit  spoke  in 
her  bright  color.  She  was  tall  and  straight,  and  there 
was  something  militant  in  her  figure  as  she  faced  Gris- 
wold. 

"I  beg  to  say,  Miss  Osborne,  that  if  there  is  any  way 
in  which  I  can  serve  you,  my  time  is  wholly  at  your  dis 
posal." 

"I  thank  you.  I  fear  that  you  have  already  given 
yourself  too  much  trouble  in  stopping  here.  My  father 
will  wish  to  thank  you  on  his  return." 

Her  lips  trembled,  and  tears  were  bright  in  her  eyes. 
Then  she  regained  control  of  herself. 

"Mr.  Griswold,  I  have  no  claim  whatever  on  your 
kindness,  but  I  am  in  very  great  distress.  I  don't  see 
just  where  I  can  turn  for  aid  to  any  one  I  know.  But 
you  as  a  stranger  may  be  able  to  help  me — if  it  isn't 
asking  too  much — but  then  I  know  it  is  asking  too 
much!" 

"Anything,  anything  whatever,"  urged  Griswold 
kindly. 

"Mr.  Bosworth,  the  attorney-general,  warns  me  that 
if  my  father  does  not  use  the  power  of  the  state  to  cap 
ture  this  outlaw  Appleweight,  the  results  will  be  dis- 


48     THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

astrous.  He  says  my  father  must  act  immediately.  He 
demanded  his  address,  and,  and — I  gave  it  to  him." 

"But  you  must  remember,  Miss  Osborne,  that  the 
attorney-general  probably  knows  the  intricacies  of  this 
case.  He  must  have  every  reason  for  upholding  your 
father;  in  fact,  it's  his  sworn  duty  to  advise  him  in 
such  matters  as  this/' 

"There's  another  side  to  that,  Mr.  Griswold,"  and  the 
girl's  color  deepened;  but  she  smiled  and  went  on.  It 
was  quite  evident  that  she  was  animated  now  by  some 
purpose,  and  that  she  was  resolved  to  avail  herself  of 
Gris wold's  proffered  aid.  "I  have  my  own  reasons  for 
doubting  Mr.  Bosworth's  motives;  and  I  resent  his  as 
sumption  that  my  father  is  not  doing  his  full  duty.  No 
one  can  speak  to  me  of  my  father  in  that  way — no  one !" 

"Certainly  not,  Miss  Osborne !" 

"This  whole  matter  must  be  kept  as  quiet  as  possible. 
I  can  appeal  to  no  one  here  without  the  risk  of  news 
paper  publicity  which  would  do  my  father  very  great 
injury.  But  if  it  is  not  altogether  too  great  a  favor, 
Mr.  Griswold,  may  I  ask  that  you  remain  here  until  to 
night — until  my  father  returns?  His  secretary  has 
been  ill  and  is  away  from  town.  The  other  clerks  I  sent 
away  on  purpose  this  morning.  Father  had  left  his 


THE  ABSENCE  OF  GOVERNOR  OSBORNE  49 

office  keys  at  home,  and  I  came  in  to  see  if  I  could  find 
the  papers  in  the  Appleweight  case.  They  axe  there, 
and  on  the  top  of  the  packet  is  a  requisition  on  the  gov 
ernor  of  North  Carolina  for  Appleweight's  return." 

"Signed?" 

"Signed.  I'm  sure  he  had  only  deferred  acting  in  the 
case  until  his  return,  and  he  should  have  been  back  to 
day." 

"But  of  course  he  will  be  back;  it  is  inconceivable 
that  he  should  ignore,  much  less  evade,  a  duty  as  plain 
as  this — the  governor  of  a  state — it  is  preposterous! 
His  business  in  Atlanta  accounts  for  his  absence.  Gov 
ernor  Osborne  undoubtedly  knows  what  he  is  about." 

"My  father  is  not  in  Atlanta,  Mr.  Griswold.  He  is 
not  at  the  Peach  Tree  Club,  and  has  not  been.  I  have 
not  the  slightest  idea  where  my  father  is !" 

The  echoing  whistle  of  the  departing  Virginia  express 
reached  them  faintly  as  they  stood  facing  each  other 
before  the  open  window  in  the  governor's  reception- 
room. 


CHAPTER  III 

THE  JUG    AND   MR.    ARDMORE 

Mr.  Thomas  Ardmore,  of  New  York  and  Ardsley, 
having  seen  his  friend  Griswold  depart,  sought  a  book 
shop  where,  as  in  many  other  book-shops  throughout  the 
United  States,  he  kept  a  standing  order  for  any  works 
touching  piracy,  a  subject,  which,  as  already  hinted, 
had  long  afforded  him  infinite  diversion.  He  had  sev 
eral  hours  to  wait  for  his  train  to  New  Orleans,  and  he 
was  delighted  to  find  that  the  bookseller,  whom  he  had 
known  only  by  correspondence,  had  just  procured  for 
him,  through  the  dispersion  of  a  Georgia  planter's  valu 
able  library,  that  exceedingly  rare  narrative,  The 
Golden  Galleons  of  the  Caribbean,  by  Dominguez  y 
Pascual — a  beautifully  bound  copy  of  the  original 
Madrid  edition. 

With  this  volume  under  his  arm  Ardmore  returned 
to  the  hotel  where  he  was  lodged  and  completed  his  ar 
rangements  for  leaving.  It  should  be  known  that  Mr. 
Thomas  Ardmore  was  a  person  of  democratic  tastes  and 

50 


THE    JUG   AND    MR.    ABDMORE  51 

habits.  In  his  New  York  house  were  two  servants  whose 
sole  business  it  was  to  keep  himself  and  his  wardrobe 
presentable;  yet  he  preferred  to  travel  unattended.  He 
was,  by  nature,  somewhat  secretive,  and  his  adventurous 
spirit  rebelled  at  the  thought  of  being  followed  about  by 
a  hired  retainer.  His  very  wealth  was,  in  a  way,  a 
nuisance,  for  wherever  he  went  the  newspapers  chron 
icled  his  movements,  with  speculations  as  to  the  object 
of  his  visit,  and  dark  hints  at  large  public  gifts  which 
the  city  honored  by  his  presence  at  once  imagined 
would  be  bestowed  upon  it  forthwith.  The  American 
press  constantly  execrated  his  family,  and  as  he  was 
sensitive  to  criticism  he  kept  very  much  to  himself. 

It  was  a  matter  of  deep  regret  to  Ardmore  that  his 
great-grandfather,  whose  name  he  bore,  should  have 
trifled  with  the  morals  of  the  red  men,  but  he  philoso 
phized  that  it  was  not  his  fault,  and  if  he  had  known 
how  to  squeeze  the  whisky  from  the  Ardmore  millions 
he  would  have  been  glad  to  do  so.  His  own  affairs  were 
managed  by  the  Bronx  Loan  and  Trust  Company,  and 
Ardmore  took  little  personal  interest  in  any  of  his  be 
longings  except  his  estate  in  North  Carolina,  where  he 
dreamed  his  dreams,  and  had,  on  the  whole,  a  pretty 
good  time. 


52    THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

When  he  had  finished  packing  his  trunk  he  went 
down  to  the  dinner  he  had  ordered  to  be  in  readiness  at 
a  certain  hour,  at  a  certain  table,  carefully  chosen 
beforehand;  for  Ardmore  was  very  exacting  in  such 
matters  and  had  an  eye  to  the  comforts  of  life,  as  he 
understood  them. 

As  he  crossed  the  hotel  lobby  on  his  way  to  the  res 
taurant  he  was  accosted  by  a  reporter  for  the  Atlanta 
Palladium,  who  began  to  question  him  touching  various 
Ardmores  who  were  just  then  filling  rather  more  than 
their  usual  amount  of  space  in  the  newspapers.  Ard- 
more's  family,  with  the  single  exception  of  his  sister, 
Mrs.  Atchison,  bored  him  immensely.  His  two  brothers 
and  another  sister,  the  Duchess  of  Ballywinkle,  kept  the 
family  name  in  display  type  a  great  deal  of  the  time, 
and  their  performances  had  practically  driven  Thomas 
Ardmore  from  New  York.  He  felt  keenly  his  shame  in 
being  brother-in-law  to  a  dissolute  duke,  and  the  threat 
ened  marriage  of  one  of  his  brothers  to  a  chorus  girl 
had  added,  he  felt,  all  too  great  a  burden  to  a  family  tree 
whose  roots,  he  could  not  forget  it,  were  soaked  in  con 
traband  rum.  The  reporter  was  a  well-mannered  youth 
and  Ardmore  shook  his  hand  encouragingly.  He  was 
rather  curious  to  see  what  new  incident  in  the  family 


THE    JUG   AND    MR.    ARDMORE  53 

history  was  to  be  the  subject  of  inquisition,  and  the  re 
porter  immediately  set  his  mind  at  rest. 

"Pardon  me,  Mr.  Ardmore,  but  is  it  true  that  your 
sister,  the  Duchess  of  Ballywinkle,  has  separated  from 
the  duke?" 

"You  may  quote  me  as  saying  that  while  I  am  not 
quite  sure,  yet  I  sincerely  hope  the  reports  are  true.  To 
be  frank  with  you,  I  do  not  like  the  duke;  in  fact, 
strictly  between  ourselves,  I  disliked  him  from  the  first," 
and  Ardmore  shook  his  head  gravely,  and  meditatively 
jingled  the  little  gold  pieces  that  he  always  carried  in 
his  trousers  pockets. 

''Well,  of  course,  I  had  heard  that  there  was  some 
trouble  between  you  and  your  brother-in-law,  but  can't 
the  Palladium  have  your  own  exact  statement,  Mr.  Ard 
more,  of  what  caused  the  breach  between  you  ?" 

Ardmore  hesitated  and  turned  his  head  cautiously. 

"You  understand,  of  course,  that  this  discussion  is 
painful  to  me,  extremely  painful.  And  yet,  so  much  has 
been  published  about  my  sister's  domestic  affairs — " 

"Exactly,  Mr.  Ardmore.  What  we  want  is  to  print 
your  side  of  the  story." 

"Very  decent  of  you,  I'm  sure.  But  the  fact  is — " 
and  Ardmore  glanced  over  his  shoulder  again  to  be  sure 


54    THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

he  was  not  overheard — "the  fact  is — "  and  he  paused, 
batting  his  eyes  as  though  hesitating  at  the  point  of  an 
important  disclosure. 

"Yes,  Mr.  Ardmore,"  encouraged  the  reporter. 

"Well,  I  don't  mind  telling  you,  but  don't  print  this. 
Let  it  be  just  between  ourselves." 

"Oh,  of  course,  if  you  say  not — " 

"That's  all  right;  I  have  every  confidence  in  your 
discretion;  but,  if  this  will  go  no  further,  I  don't  mind 
telling  you — " 

"You  may  rely  on  me  absolutely,  Mr.  Ardmore." 

"Then,  with  the  distinct  understanding  that  this  is 
sub  rosa — now  we  do  understand  each  other,  don't  we?" 
pleaded  Ardmore. 

"Perfectly,  Mr.  Ardmore,"  and  the  perspiration  be 
gan  to  bead  the  reporter's  forehead  in  his  excitement 
over  the  impending  revelation. 

"Then  you  shall  know  why  I  feel  so  bitter  about  the 
duke.  I  assure  you  that  nothing  but  the  deepest  chagrin 
over  the  matter  causes  me  to  tell  you  what  I  have  never 
revealed  before — not  even  to  members  of  my  family — 
not  to  my  most  intimate  friend." 

"I  appreciate  all  that — " 

'^Well,  the  fact  is — but  please  never  mention  it — the 


THE    JUG   AND   MR.    ARDMORE          55 

fact  is  that  his  Grace  owes  me  four  dollars.  I  gave  it 
to  him  in  two  bills — I  remember  the  incident  perfectly 
— two  crisp  new  bills  I  had  just  got  at  the  bank.  His 
Grace  borrowed  the  money  to  pay  a  cabman — it  was  the 
very  day  before  he  married  my  sister.  Now  let  me  ask 
you  this :  Can  an  American  citizen  allow  a  duke  to  owe 
him  four  dollars  ?  The  villain  never  referred  to  the  mat 
ter  again,  and  from  that  day  to  this  I  have  made  it  a 
rule  never  to  lend  money  to  a  duke." 

The  reporter  stared  a  moment,  then  laughed.  He 
abandoned  the  idea  of  getting  material  for  a  sensational 
article  and  scented  the  possibilities  of  a  character  sketch 
of  the  whimsical  young  millionaire. 

"How  about  that  story  that  your  brother,  Samuel 
Ardmore,  is  going  to  marry  the  chorus  girl  he  ran  over 
in  his  automobile  ?" 

C*I  hope  it's  true;  I  devoutly  do.  I'm  very  fond  of 
music  myself,  and,,  strange  to  say,  nobody  in  our  family 
is  musical.  I  think  a  chorus  girl  would  be  a  real  addi 
tion  to  our  family.  It  would  bring  up  the  family  dig 
nity — you  can  see  that." 

"The  wires  .brought  a  story  this  afternoon  that  your 
cousin,  Wingate  Siddall — he  is  your  cousin,  isn't  he — ?" 

"Fm  afraid  so.   What's  Siddy's  latest?" 


56    THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

"Why,  it's  reported  that  he's  going  to  cross  the  At 
lantic  in  a  balloon.  Can  you  tell  us  anything  about  that 
from  the  inside?" 

"Well,  the  ocean  is  only  four  miles  deep;  I'd  take 
more  interest  in  Cousin  Siddy's  ballooning  if  you  could 
make  it  a  couple  of  miles  more  to  the  dead  men's  chests. 
And  now,  much  as  I'd  like  to  prolong  this  conversation, 
I've  got  to  eat  or  I'll  miss  my  train." 

"If  you  don't  mind  saying  where  you  are  going,  Mr. 
Ardmore  ?" 

"I'd  tell  you  in  a  minute,  only  I  haven't  fully  decided 
yet;  but  I  shall  probably  take  the  Sambo  Flyer  at  9:13, 
if  you  don't  make  me  lose  it." 

"You  have  large  interests  in  Arkansas,  I  believe,  Mr. 
Ardmore  ?" 

"Yes;  important  interests.  I'm  searching  for  the 
original  fiddle  of  the  Arkansaw  Traveler.  When  I  find 
it  I'm  going  to  give  it  to  the  British  Museum.  And  now 
you  really  must  excuse  me." 

Ardmore  looked  the  reporter  over  carefully  as  they 
shook  hands.  He  was  an  attractive  young  fellow,  alert 
and  good  humored,  and  Ardmore  liked  him,  as,  in  his 
shy  way,  he  really  liked  almost  every  one  who  seemed  to 
be  a  human  being. 


THE   JUG   AND    MR.    ARDMORE          57 

"I'll  tell  you  what  I'll  do  with  you.  If  you'll  forget 
this  rot  we've  been  talking  and  come  up  to  Ardsley  as 
soon  as  I  get  home,  I'll  see  if  I  can't  keep  you  amused  for 
a  couple  of  weeks.  I  don't  offer  that  as  a  bribe;  my 
family  affairs  are  of  interest  to  nobody  but  hostlers  and 
kitchen  maids.  Wire  me  at  Ardsley  when  you're  ready, 
throw  away  your  lead-pencil,  then  come  on  and  I'll  show 
you  the  finest  collection  of  books  on  Captain  Kidd  in 
the  known  world.  What  did  you  say  your  name  is? 
Collins,  Frank  Collins?  I  never  forget  anything,  so 
don't  disappoint  me." 

"That's  mighty  nice  of  you,  but  I  don't  have  much 
time  for  vacations,"  replied  the  reporter,  who  was,  how 
ever,  clearly  pleased. 

"If  the  office  won't  give  you  a  couple  of  weeks,  wire 
me  and  I'll  buy  the  paper." 

The  young  man  laughed  outright. 

"I'll  remember;  I  really  believe  you  mean  for  me  to 
come." 

"Of  course  I  do.  It's  all  settled ;  make  it  next  week. 
Good-by!" 

Ardmore  ate  his  dinner  oblivious  of  the  fact  that  peo 
ple  at  the  neighboring  tables  turned  to  look  at  him.  He 
overheard  his  name  mentioned,  and  a  woman  just  behind 


58    THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

him  let  it  be  known  to  her  companions  and  any  one  else 
who  cared  to  hear  that  he  was  the  brother-in-law  of  the 
Duke  of  Ballywinkle.  Another  voice  in  the  neighbor 
hood  kindly  remarked  that  Ardmore  was  the  only  de 
cent  member  of  the  family,  and  that  he  was  not  the  one 
whose  wife  had  just  left  him,  nor  yet  the  one  who  was 
going  to  marry  the  chorus  girl  whose  father  kept  a 
delicatessen  shop  in  Hoboken.  It  is  very  sad  to  be  un 
able  to  dine  without  having  family  skeletons  joggle  one's 
elbow,  and  Ardmore  was  annoyed.  The  head  waiter 
hung  officiously  near;  the  man  who  served  him  was 
distressingly  eager;  and  then  the  voice  behind  him  rose 
insistently : 

" — worth  millions  and  yet  he  can't  find  anybody  to 
eat  with  him." 

This  was  almost  true  and  a  shadow  passed  across 
Ardmore's  face  and  his  eyes  grew  grave  as  he  humbly 
reflected  that  he  was  indeed  a  pitiable  object.  He  waved 
away  his  plate  and  called  for  coffee,  and  at  that  moment 
a  middle-aged  man  appeared  at  the  door,  scanned  the 
room  for  a  moment  and  then  threaded  his  way  among 
the  tables  to  Ardmore. 

"I  heard  you  were  here  and  thought  I'd  look  you  up. 
How  are  you,  Ardy  ?" 


THE   JUG  AND   MR.   ABDMOE1          59 

"Very  well,  thank  yon,  Mr.  Billings.  Have  you  dined  ? 
Sorry;  which  way  are  you  heading?" 

The  new-comer  had  the  bearing  of  a  gentleman  iised 
to  consideration.  He  was,  indeed,  the  secretary  of  the 
Bronx  Loan  and  Trust  Company,  whose  business  was 
chiefly  the  administration  of  the  Ardmore  estate,  and 
Ardmore  knew  him  very  well.  He  was  afraid  that 
Billings  had  traced  him  to  Atlanta  for  one  of  those 
business  discussions  which  always  vexed  and  perplexed 
him  so  grievously,  and  the  thought  of  this  further  de 
pressed  his  spirits.  But  the  secretary  at  once  eased  his 
mind. 

"I'm  looking  for  a  man,  and  I'm  not  good  at  the  busi 
ness.  I've  lost  him  and  I  don't  understand  it,  I  don't 
understand  it,"  and  the  secretary  seemed  to  be  half- 
musing  to  himself  as  he  sat  down  and  rested  his  arms  on 
the  table. 

"You  might  give  me  the  job.  I'm  following  a  slight 
clue  myself  just  at  present." 

The  secretary,  who  had  no  great  opinion  of  Ardmore's 
mental  capacity,  stared  at  the  young  man  vacantly. 
Then  it  occurred  to  him  that  possibly  Ardmore  might  be 
of  service. 

"Have  you  been  at  Ardsley  recently?"  he  asked. 


60     THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDABE 

"Left  there  only  a  few  days  ago." 

<fYou  haven't  seen  your  governor  lately,  have  you  ?" 

"My  governor?"  Ardniore  stared  blankly.  "Why, 
Mr.  Billings,  don't  you  remember  that  father's  dead  ?" 

"I  don't  mean  your  father,  Ardy,"  replied  Billings 
with  the  exaggerated  care  of  one  who  deals  with  ex 
treme  stupidity.  "I  mean  the  governor  of  North  Caro 
lina — one  of  the  American  states.  Ardsley  is  still  in 
North  Carolina,  isn't  it?" 

"Oh,  yes ;  of  course.  But  bless  your  soul,  I  don't  know 
the  governor.  Why  should  one  ?" 

"I  don't  know  why,  Ardy;  but  people  sometimes  do 
know  governors  and  find  it  useful." 

"I'm  not  in  politics  any  more,  Mr.  Billings.  What's 
this  person's  name?" 

"Dangerfield.  Don't  you  ever  read  the  newspapers?" 
demanded  the  secretary,  striving  to  control  his  inner 
rage.  He  was  in  trouble  and  Ardmore's  opaqueness  taxed 
his  patience.  And  yet  Tommy  Ardmore  had  given  him 
less  trouble  than  any  other  member  of  the  Ardmore 
family.  The  others  galloped  gaily  through  their  in 
comes;  Tommy  was  rapidly  augmenting  his  inheritance 
from  sheer  neglect  or  inability  to  scatter  his  dividends. 

"No;   I   quit  reading   newspapers   after   the   noble 


THE    JUG    AND    MR.    ARDMORE  61 

Duke  of  Ballywinkle  didn't  break  the  bank  at  M'onte 
Carlo  that  last  time.  I  often  wish,  Mr.  Billings,  that  the 
Mohawks  had  scalped  my  great-grandfather  before  they 
bought  his  whisky.  That  would  have  saved  me  the  per 
sonal  humiliation  of  being  brother-in-law  to  a  duke/' 

"You  mustn't  be  so  thin-skinned.  You  pay  the  pen 
alty  of  belonging  to  one  of  the  wealthiest  families  in 
America,"  and  Billings'  tone  was  paternal. 

"So  I've  heard,  but  I'm  not  so  terribly  proud  of  it. 
What  about  this  governor?" 

"That's  what  troubles  me — what  of  the  governor?" 
Billings  dropped  his  voice  so  that  no  one  but  Ardmore 
could  hear.  "He's  missing — disappeared." 

"That's  the  first  interesting  thing  I  ever  heard  of  a 
governor  doing,"  said  Ardmore.  "Tell  me  more." 

"He's  had  a  row  with  the  governor  of  South  Carolina 
at  New  Orleans.  I  was  to  have  met  him  here  on  an  im 
portant  matter  of  business  this  afternoon,  but  he's 
cleared  out  and  nobody  knows  what's  become  of  him. 
His  daughter,  even,  who  was  in  New  Orleans  with  him, 
doesn't  know  where  he  is." 

"When  was  she  in  New  Orleans  with  him?"  asked 
Ardmore,  looking  at  his  watch. 

"She — who?"  asked  Billings,  annoyed. 


62     THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

"Why,  the  daughter!" 

"I  don't  know  anything  about  the  daughter,  but  if  I 
could  find  her  father  Fd  give  him  a  piece  of  my  mind," 
and  the  secretary's  face  flushed  angrily. 

"Well,  I  suppose  she  isn't  the  one  I'm  looking  for, 
anyhow,"  said  Ardmore  resignedly. 

"I  should  hope  not,"  blurted  Billings,  who  had  not 
really  taken  in  what  Ardmore  said,  but  who  assumed 
that  it  must  necessarily  be  something  idiotic. 

"She  had  fluffy  hair,"  persisted  Ardmore  to  this  seri 
ous-minded  gentleman  whose  life  was  devoted  to  the 
multiplication  of  the  Ardmore  millions.  Ardmore's  tone 
was  that  of  a  child  who  persists  in  babbling  inanities  to 
a  distracted  parent. 

"Better  let  girls  alone,  Tommy.  Mrs.  Atchison  told 
me  you  were  going  to  marry  Daisy  Waters,  and  I  should 
heartily  approve  the  match." 

"Did  Nellie  tell  you  that?  I  wonder  if  she's  told 
Daisy  yet?  You'll  have  to  excuse  me  now,  for  I'm  taking 
the  Sambo  Flyer.  I'd  like  to  find  your  governor  for  you ; 
and  if  you'll  tell  me  when  he  was  seen  last — " 

"Right  here,  just  before  noon  to-day,  and  a  couple  of 
hours  before  I  reached  town.  His  daughter  either  doesn't 
know  where  he  went  or  she  won't  tell." 


THE   JUG   AND   MR.   ABDMOBE          63 

"Ah  !  the  daughter !  She  remains  behind  to  guard  his 
retreat." 

"The  daughter  is  still  here.  She's  a  peppery  little 
piece/'  and  Billings  looked  guardedly  around  the  room. 
"That's  she,  alone  over  there  in  the  corner— the  girl 
with  the  white  feather  in  her  hat  who's  just  signing  her 
check.  There — she's  getting  up !" 

Ardmore  gazed  across  the  room  intently,  then  sud 
denly  a  slight  smile  played  about  his  lips.  To  gain  the 
door  the  girl  must  pass  by  his  table,  and  he  scrutinized 
her  closely  as  she  drew  near  and  passed.  She  was  a  little 
girl,  and  her  light  fluffy  hair  swept  out  from  under  a 
small  blue  hat  in  a  shell-like  curve,  and  the  short  skirt 
of  her  tailor-made  gown  robbed  her,  it  seemed,  of  years 
to  which  the  calendar  might  entitle  her. 

"She  gave  me  the  steadiest  eye  I  ever  looked  into 
when  I  asked  her  where  her  father  had  gone,"  remarked 
Billings  grimly  as  the  girl  passed.  "She  said  she 
thought  he'd  gone  fishing  for  whales." 

"So  she's  Miss  Dangerfield,  is  she?"  asked  Ardmore 
indifferently ;  and  he  rose,  leaving  on  the  plate,  by  a  sud 
den  impulse  of  good  feeling  toward  the  world,  exactly 
double  the  generous  tip  he  had  intended  giving.  Billings 
was  glad  to  be  rid  of  Ardmore  and  they  parted  in  the 


64    THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

hotel  lobby  without  waste  of  words.  The  secretary  of  the 
Bronx  Loan  and  Trust  Company  announced  his  inten 
tion  of  remaining  another  day  in  Atlanta  in  the  hope 
of  finding  Governor  Dangerfield,  and  he  was  so  ab 
sorbed  in  his  own  affairs  that  he  did  not  heed,  if  indeed 
he  heard,  Ardmore's  promise  to  keep  an  eye  out  for  the 
lost  governor.  Like  most  other  people  the  secretary  of 
the  Bronx  Loan  and  Trust  Company  did  not  understand 
Ardmore,  but  Thomas  Ardmore,  having  long  ago  found 
himself  ill-judged  by  the  careless  world,  lived  by  stand 
ards  of  his  own,  and  these  would  have  meant  nothing 
whatever  to  Billings. 

Ardmore's  effects  had  been  brought  down  and  were 
already  piled  on  a  carriage  at  the  door.  In  his  pocket 
was  his  passage  to  New  Orleans  and  a  state-room  ticket. 
At  the  cashier's  desk  Miss  Dangerfield  paid  her  bill,  just 
ahead  of  him. 

"If  any  telegrams  come  for  my  father  please  forward 
them  to  Raleigh/'  said  the  girl.  The  manager  came  out 
personally  to  show  her  to  her  carriage,  and  having  shut 
the  door  upon  her,  he  wished  Ardmore,  who  stood  dis 
creetly  by,  a  safe  journey. 

"Off  for  New  Orleans,  are  you,  Mr.  Ardmore  ?"  asked 
the  manager  courteously. 


THE   JUG   AND   MR.   ABDMOBE          65 

"No,"  said  Ardmore,  "I'm  going  to  Raleigh  to  look  at 
the  tall  buildings/'  whereat  the  manager  returned  to 
his  duties,  gravely  shaking  his  head. 

At  the  station  Ardmore  caught  sight  of  Miss  Danger- 
field,  attended  by  two  porters,  hurrying  toward  the  Tar 
Heel  Express.  He  bought  a  ticket  to  Raleigh,  and  se 
cured  the  last  available  berth  from  the  conductor  on  the 
platform  at  the  moment  of  departure. 

Ardmore  did  not  like  to  be  hurried,  and  this  sudden 
change  of  plans  had  been  almost  too  much  for  him,  but 
he  was  consoled  by  the  reflection  that  after  all  these 
years  of  waiting  for  just  such  an  adventure  he  had 
proved  himself  equal  to  an  emergency  that  required 
quick  thought  and  swift  action.  He  had  not  only  found 
the  girl  with  the  playful  eye,  but  he  had  learned  her 
identity  without,  as  it  were,  turning  over  his  hand.  Not 
even  Griswold,  who  was  the  greatest  man  he  knew — 
Griswold  with  his  acute  legal  mind  and  ability  to  carry 
through  contests  of  wit  with  lawyers  of  highest  reputei — 
not  even  Griswold,  Ardmore  flattered  himself,  could 
have  managed  better. 

The  state-room  door  stood  open,  and  from  his  seat  at 
the  farther  end  of  the  car  Ardmore  caught  a  fleeting 
glimpse  of  Miss  Dangerfield  as  she  threw  off  her  jacket 


G6    THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

and  hat;  then  she  summoned  the  porter,  gave  him  her 
tickets,  bade  him  a  smiling  good  night  and  the  door 
closed  upon  her.  The  broad  grin  on  the  porter's  face — a 
grin  of  delight  as  though  he  had  spoken  with  some  ex 
alted  deity — filled  Ardmore  with  bitterest  envy. 

He  went  back  to  smoke  and  plan  his  future  move 
ments.  For  the  first  time  in  his  life  he  faced  to-morrow 
with  eager  anticipations,  resolved  that  nothing  should 
thwart  his  high  resolves,  though  these,  to  be  sure,  were 
somewhat  hazy.  Then,  from  a  feeling  of  great  satisfac 
tion,  his  spirit  reacted  and  he  regretted  that  he  had  been 
deprived  of  the  joy  of  prolonged  search.  If  he  could 
only  have  followed  her  until,  at  the  last  moment,  when 
about  to  give  up  forever  and  accept  the  frugal  con 
solations  of  memory,  he  met  her  somewhere  face  to 
face!  These  reflections  led  him  to  wonder  whether  he 
might  not  have  been  mistaken  about  the  wink  after  all. 
Griswold,  with  his  wider  knowledge  of  the  world,  had 
scouted  the  idea.  Very  likely  if  one  of  those  blue  eyes 
had  actually  winked  at  him  it  had  been  out  of  mere  play 
fulness,  and  he  would  never  in  the  world  refer  to  it  when 
they  met.  Billings  had  applied  the  term  peppery  to  her, 
and  he  felt  that  he  should  always  hate  Billings  for  this ; 
Billings  was  only  a  financial  automaton  anyhow,  who 


THE    JUG   AND    ME.    AEDMOEB  67 

bought  at  the  lowest  and  sold  at  the  highest,  and  bored 
one  very  often  with  strangely-worded  papers  which  one 
was  never  expected  to  understand.  He  did  not  know 
why  Billings  was  so  anxious  to  find  Miss  Dangerfield's 
father,  but  as  between  a  man  of  Billings'  purely  commer 
cial  instincts  and  the  governor  of  a  great  state  like  North 
Carolina  Ardmore  resolved  to  stand  by  the  Dangerfields 
to  the  end  of  the  chapter.  He  was  proud  to  remember 
his  estate  at  Ardsley,  which  was  in  Governor  Danger- 
field's  jurisdiction,  and  had  been  visited  by  the  game 
warden,  the  state  forester,  and  various  other  members 
of  the  governor's  official  household,  though  Ardmore 
could  not  remember  their  names.  He  had  never  in  his 
life  visited  Ealeigh,  but  far  down  some  dim  vista  of 
memory  he  saw  Sir  Walter  covering  a  mud-puddle  with 
his  cloak  for  Queen  Elizabeth.  It  was  a  picture  of  this 
moving  incident  in  an  old  history  that  rose  before  him, 
as  he  tried  vainly  to  recall  just  how  it  was  that  Sir 
Walter  had  lost  his  head.  He  wondered  whether  Miss 
Dangerfield's  name  was  Elizabeth,  though  he  hoped  not, 
as  the  name  suggested  a  town  in  New  Jersey  where  his 
motor  had  once  broken  down  on  a  rainy  evening  when 
he  was  carrying  Griswold  to  Princeton  to  deliver  a  lec 
ture. 


68    THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDABB 

Ardmore  smoked  many  pipes  and  did  not  turn,  in 
until  after  midnight.  The  car  was  hot  and  stuffy 
and  he  slept  badty.  At  some  hour  of  the  morning,  being 
again  awake  and  restless,  he  fished  his  dressing-gown 
and  slippers  out  of  his  bag  and  went  out  on  the  rear 
platform.  His  was  the  last  car,  and  he  found  a  camp- 
stool  and  crouched  down  upon  it  in  a  corner  of  the  vesti 
bule  and  stared  out  into  the  dark.  The  hum  and  click 
of  the  rails  soothed  him  and  he  yielded  himself  to  pleas 
ant  reveries.  Griswold  was  well  on  his  way  back  to 
Virginia,  he  remembered — "dear  old  Grissy!"  he  mur 
mured  ;  but  he  resolved  to  tell  Griswold  nothing  of  the 
prosperous  course  of  his  quest.  Griswold  would  never, 
he  knew,  countenance  so  grave  a  performance  as  the 
following  of  a  strange  girl  to  her  home ;  but  this  would 
be  something  for  later  justification. 

Ardmore  was  half-dozing  when  the  train  stopped  so 
abruptly  that  he  was  pitched  from  the  camp-stool  into 
a  corner  of  the  entry.  He  got  himself  together  and 
leaned  out  into  the  cool  moist  air. 

The  porter  came  out  and  stared,  for  a  gentleman  in 
a  blue  silk  wrapper  who  sat  up  all  night  in  a  vestibule 
was  new  to  his  experience. 

"What  place  is  this,  porter  ?" 


THE   JUG   AND   MR.    ARDMORE          69 

"Kildare,  sah.  This  place  is  wha'  we  go  from  South 
C'lina  into  N'oth  C'lina.  Ain't  yo'  be'th  comfor'ble, 
sah?" 

"Perfectly;  thank  you/' 

Kildare  was  a  familiar  name,  and  the  station,  that 
lay  at  the  outskirts  of  the  town,  and  a  long  grim  bar 
racks-like  building  that  he  identified  as  a  cotton  mill, 
recalled  the  fact  that  he  was  not  far  from  his  own  ample 
acres  which  lay  off  somewhere  to  westward.  He  had  oc 
casionally  taken  this  route  from  the  north  in  going  to 
Ardsley,  riding  or  driving  from  Kildare  about  ten  miles 
to  his  house.  In  this  way  he  was  enabled  to  go  or  come 
without  appearing  at  all  in  the  little  village  of  Ards 
ley. 

The  porter  left  him.  He  felt  ready  for  sleep  now, 
and  resolved  to  go  back  to  bed  as  soon  as  the  train 
started.  Just  then  a  dark  shadow  appeared  in  the  track 
and  a  man's  voice  asked  cautiously : 

"Air  y'u  the  conductor?" 

The  questioner  saw  that  he  was  not,  before  Ardmore 
could  reply,  and  hesitated  a  moment. 

"The  porter's  in  the  car;  you  can  get  aboard  up  for 
ward,"  Ardmore  suggested. 

"Be  Gov'nor  Dangerfield  on  this  train?"  asked  the 


70    THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

man,  whom  Ardmore  now  saw  dimly  outlined  in  the 
track  below. 

"Certainly,  my  friend.  The  governor's  asleep,  but 
I'm  his  private  secretary.  What  can  I  do  for  you  ?" 

"Well,  hyeh's  somethin'  fer  'im — it's  confidential. 
Sure,  air  ye,  th'  gov'nor's  in  they  ?" 

The  man — a  tall  bearded  countryman  in  a  slouch  hat, 
handed  up  to  Ardmore  a  jug — a  plain,  brown,  old-fash 
ioned  American  gallon  jug. 

"It's  a  present  fer  Gov'nor  Dangerfield.  He'll  un 
derstand/'  and  the  man  vanished  as  mysteriously  as  hr 
had  appeared,  leaving  Ardmore  holding  the  jug  "by  its 
handle,  and  feeling  a  little  dazed  by  the  transaction. 

The  train  lingered,  and  Ardmore  was  speculating  as 
to  which  one  of  the  Carolina  commonwealths  was  be 
neath  him,  when  another  figure  appeared  below  in  the 
track — that  of  a  bareheaded,  tousled  boy  this  time. 
He  stared  up  at  Ardmore  sleepily,  having  apparently 
been  roused  on  the  arrival  of  the  train. 

"Air  y'u  the  gov'nor  ?"  he  piped. 

"Yes,  my  lad;  in  what  way  can  I  serve  you?"  and 
Ardmore  put  down  his  jug  and  leaned  over  the  guard 
rail.  It  was  just  as  easy  to  be  the  governor  as  the  gov 
ernor's  private  secretary,  and  his  vanity  was  touched  by 


THE    JUG   AND    ME.    ARDMORE          71 

the  readiness  with  which  the  boy  accepted  him  in  his 
new  r61e.  His  costume,  vaguely  discernible  in  the 
vestibule  light,  evidently  struck  the  lad  as  being  some 
amazing  robe  of  state  affected  by  governors.  The 
youngster  was  lifting  something,  and  he  now  held  up 
to  Ardmore  a  jug,  as  like  the  other  as  one  pea  resem 
bles  another. 

"Pa  ain't  home  and  ma  says  hyeh's  yer  jug  o'  butter 
milk." 

"Thank  you,  my  lad.  While  I  regret  missing  your 
worthy  father,  yet  I  beg  to  present  my  compliments  to 
your  kind  and  thoughtful  mother." 

He  had  transferred  his  money  to  his  dressing-gown 
pocket  on  leaving  his  berth,  and  he  now  tossed  a  silver 
dollar  to  the  boy,  who  caught  it  with  a  yell  of  delight 
and  scampered  off  into  the  night. 

Ardmore  had  dropped  the  jugs  carelessly  into  the 
vestibule,  and  he  was  surveying  them  critically  when 
the  train  started.  The  wheels  were  beginning  to  grind 
reluctantly  when  a  cry  down  the  track  arrested  his  at 
tention.  A  man  was  flying  after  the  train,  shouting  at 
the  top  of  his  lungs.  He  ran,  caught  hold  of  the  rail 
and  howled : 

"The  gov'nor  ain't  on  they !   Gimme  back  my  jug." 


72    THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

"Indian-giver!"  yelled  Ardmore.  He  stooped  down, 
picked  up  the  first  jug  that  came  to  hand,  and  dropped 
it  into  the  man's  outstretched  arms. 

The  porter,  having  heard  voices,  rushed  out  upon 
Ardmore,  who  held  the  remaining  jug  to  the  light,  scru 
tinizing  it  carefully. 

"Please  put  this  away  for  me,  porter.  It's  a  little  gift 
from  an  old  army  friend." 

Then  Mr.  Ardmore  returned  to  his  berth,  fully  pleased 
with  his  adventures,  and  slept  until  the  porter  gave 
warning  of  Raleigh. 


CHAPTER  IV 

DUTY  AND  THE  JUG 

Mr.  Thomas  Ardmore,  one  trunk,  two  bags,  and  a  lit 
tle  brown  jug  reached  the  Guilford  House,  Raleigh,  at 
eight  o'clock  in  the  morning.  Ardmore  had  never  felt 
better  in  his  life,  he  assured  himself,  as  he  chose  a  room 
with  care  and  intimated  to  the  landlord  his  intention 
of  remaining  a  week.  But  for  the  ill  luck  of  having  his 
baggage  marked  he  should  have  registered  himself 
falsely  on  the  books  of  the  inn;  but  feeling  that  this 
was  not  quite  respectable  he  assured  the  landlord,  in  re 
sponse  to  the  usual  question,  that  he  was  not  Ardmore 
of  New  York  and  Ardsley  but  an  entirely  different 
person. 

"Well,  I  don't  blame  you  for  not  wanting  to  be  taken 
for  any  of  that  set,"  remarked  the  landlord  sympatheti 
cally. 

"I  should  think  not!"  returned  Ardmore  in  a  tone 
of  deep  disgust. 

73 


74    THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDAKE 

The  Guilford  House  coffee  was  not  just  what  he  was 
used  to,  but  he  was  in  an  amiable  humor  and  enjoyed 
hugely  the  conversation  of  the  commercial  travelers 
with  whom  he  took  his  breakfast.  He  did  not  often 
escape  from  himself  or  the  burden  of  his  family  repu 
tation,  and  these  strangers  were  profoundly  entertain 
ing.  It  had  never  occurred  to  Ardmore  that  man  could 
be  so  amiable  so  early  in  the  day  and  his  own  spirits 
rallied  as  he  passed  the  sugar,  abused  the  hot  bread  and 
nodded  his  approval  of  bitter  flings  at  the  inns  of  other 
southern  towns  of  whose  existence  he  only  vaguely  knew. 
They  spoke  of  the  president  of  the  United  States  and 
of  various  old  world  monarchs  in  a  familiar  tone  that 
was  decidedly  novel  and  refreshing;  and  he  felt  that  it 
was  a  great  privilege  to  sit  at  meat  with  these  blithe 
spirits.  Commercial  travelers,  he  now  realized,  were 
more  like  the  strolling  players,  the  wandering  knights, 
the  cloaked  riders  approaching  lonely  inns  at  night,  than 
any  other  beings  he  had  met  out  of  books.  It  was  with 
the  severest  self-denial  that  he  resisted  an  impulse  to 
invite  them  all  to  visit  him  at  Ardsley  or  to  use  his 
house  in  Fifth  Avenue  whenever  they  pleased.  When 
the  man  nearest  him,  who  was  having  a  second  plate  of 
corn  cakes  and  synip,  casually  inquired  his  "line,"  Ard- 


DUTY   AND   THE   JUG  75 

more  experienced  a  moment  of  real  shame,  but  remem 
bering  the  jug  he  had  acquired  in  the  night  he  replied : 

"Crockery." 

"Mine's  drugs.  Do  you  know  Billy  Gallop? — he's  in 
your  line." 

"Should  say  I  did,"  replied  Ardmore  unhesitatingly. 
"I  took  supper  with  him  in  Philadelphia  Sunday  night." 

"How's  trade?" 

"Bully,"  replied  Ardmore,  reaching  for  the  syrup,  "I 
broke  my  record  yesterday." 

The  drug  man  turned  to  listen  to  a  discussion  of  the 
row  between  Governors  Osborne  and  Dangerfield  pre 
cipitated  by  one  of  the  company  who  had  fortified  him 
self  with  a  newspaper,  and  Ardmore  also  gave  ear. 

"Whatever  did  happen  at  New  Orleans,"  declared  a 
Maiden  Lane  jewelry  representative,  "you  can  be  quite 
sure  that  Dangerfield  won't  get  the  hot  end  of  the  poker. 
I've  seen  him,  right  here  at  Raleigh,  and  he  has  all  the 
marks  of  a  fighting  man.  He'd  strip  at  two  hundred, 
and  he's  six  in  his  socks." 

"Pshaw !  Those  big  fellows  are  all  meat  and  no  mus 
cle."  retorted  the  drug  man.  "I  doubt  if  there's  any  fight 
in  him.  Now  Osborne's  a  different  product — a  tall  lean 
cuss,  but  active  as  a  cat.  A  man  to  be  governor  of  South 


76    THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

Carolina  has  got  to  have  the  real  stuff  in  him.  If  it 
comes  to  a  show-down  you'll  see  Dangerfield  duck  and 
mn." 

This  discussion  was  continued  at  length,  greatly  to 
Ardmore's  delight,  for  he  felt  that  in  this  way  he  was 
being  brought  at  once  into  touch  with  Miss  Dangerfield, 
now  domiciled  somewhere  in  this  town,  and  to  whom  he 
expected  to  be  properly  introduced  just  as  soon  as  he 
could  devise  some  means  to  that  end.  As  he  had  not 
read  the  newspapers  he  did  not  know  what  the  row  was 
all  about,  but  he  instinctively  aligned  himself  on  the 
Dangerfield  side.  The  Osbornes  were,  he  felt,  an  in 
ferior  race,  and  he  inwardly  resented  the  imputations 
upon  Governor  Dangerfield's  courage. 

"I  wonder  if  the  governor's  back  yet?"  asked  one  man. 

"The  morning  paper  says  not,  but  he's  expected  to 
day,"  replied  the  man  with  the  newspaper. 

"About  the  first  thing  he'll  have  to  do  will  be  to  face 
the  question  of  arresting  Appleweight.  I  was  in  Co 
lumbia  the  other  day  and  everybody  was  talking  of  the 
case.  They  say" — and  the  speaker  waited  for  the  fullest 
attention  of  his  hearers — "they  say  Osborne  ain't  none 
too  anxious  to  have  Appleweight  arrested  on  his  side  of 
the  line." 


DUTY   AND   THE   JUG  77 

"Why  not?"  demanded  Ardmore. 

"Well,  you  hear  all  kinds  of  things.  It  was  only 
whispered  down  there,  but  they  say  Osborne  was  a  little 
too  thick  with  the  Appleweight  crowd  before  he  was 
elected  governor.  He  was  their  attorney,  and  they  were 
a  bad  lot  for  any  man  to  be  attorney  for.  But  they 
haven't  caught  Appleweight  yet." 

"Where's  he  hiding;  don't  the  authorities  know?" 

"Oh,  he's  up  there  in  the  hills  on  the  state  line.  His 
home  is  as  much  on  one  side  as  the  other.  He  spends  a 
good  deal  of  time  in  Kildare." 

"Kildare  ?"  asked  Ardmore,  startled  at  the  word. 

"Yes,  it's  the  county  seat,  what  there  is  of  it.  I  hope 
you  never  make  that  town!"  and  the  inquirer  bent  a 
commiserating  glance  upon  Ardmore. 

"Well,  they  use  jugs  there,  I  know  that!"  declared 
Ardmore;  whereat  the  table  roared.  The  unanimity  of 
their  applause  warmed  his  heart,  though  he  did  not 
know  why  they  laughed. 

"You  handle  crockery?"  asked  a  man  from  the  end 
of  the  table.  "Well,  I  guess  Dilwell  County  consumes  a 
few  gross  of  jugs  all  right.  But  you'd  better  be  careful 
not  to  whisper  jugs  too  loud  here.  There's  usually  a 
couple  of  revenue  men  around  town." 


78     THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

They  all  went  together  to  the  office,  where  they  picked 
up  their  sample  cases  and  sallied  forth  for  a  descent 
upon  the  Raleigh  merchants;  and  Ardmore,  thus  re 
minded  that  he  was  in  the  crockery  business,  and  that 
he  had  a  sample  in  his  room,  sat  down  under  a  tree  on 
the  sidewalk  at  the  inn  door  to  consider  what  he  should 
do  with  his  little  brown  jug.  It  had  undoubtedly  been 
intended  for  Governor  Dangerfield,  who  was  supposed 
to  be  on  the  train  he  had  himself  taken  from  Atlanta  to 
Raleigh.  There  had  been,  in  fact,  two  jugs,  but  one  of 
them  he  had  tossed  back  into  the  hands  of  the  man  who 
had  pursued  the  train  at  Kildare.  Ardmore  smoked  his 
pipe  and  meditated,  trying  to  determine  which  jug  he 
had  tossed  back ;  and  after  long  deliberation,  he  slapped 
his  knee,  and  said  aloud : 

"I  gave  him  the  wrong  one,  by  jing !" 

The  boy  had  said  that  his  offering  contained  butter 
milk,  a  beverage  which  Ardmore  knew  was  affected  by 
eccentric  people  for  their  stomach's  sake.  He  had  sniffed 
the  other  jug  and  it  contained,  undeniably,  an  alcoholic 
liquid  of  some  sort. 

Jugs  had  not  figured  prominently  in  Ardmore's  do 
mestic  experiences ;  but  as  he  sat  under  the  tree  on  the 
curb  before  the  Guilford  House  he  wondered,  as  many 


DUTY   AND    THE    JUG  79 

other  philosophers  have  wondered,  why  a  jug  is  so  in 
capable  of  innocency!  A  bottle,  while  suggestive,  is  not 
inherently  wicked;  but  a  jug  is  the  symbol  of  joyous 
sin.  Even  the  soberest  souls,  who  frown  at  the  mention 
of  a  bottle,  smile  tolerantly  when  a  jug  is  suggested. 
Jugs  of  many  centuries  are  assembled  in  museums,  and 
round  them  the  ethnologist  reconstructs  extinct  races 
of  men;  and  yet,  even  science  and  history,  strive  they 
never  so  sadly,  can  not  wholly  relieve  the  jug  of  its 
cheery  insouciance.  A  bottle  of  inferior  liquor  may  be 
dressed  forth  enticingly,  and  alluringly  named;  but 
there's  no  disguising  the  jug ;  its  genial  shame  can  not 
be  hidden.  There  are  pleasant  places  in  America  where, 
if  one  deposit  a  half-dollar  and  a  little  brown  jug  be 
hind  a  certain  stone,  or  on  the  shady  side  of  a  black 
berry  bush,  jug  and  coin  will  together  disappear  between 
sunset  and  sunrise ;  but  lo !  the  jug,  filled  and  plugged 
with  a  corn-cob,  will  return  alone  mysteriously,  in  con 
travention  of  the  statutes  in  such  cases  made  and  pro 
vided.  Too  rare  for  glass,  this  fluid,  which  bubbles  out 
of  the  southern  hills  with  as  little  guilt  in  its  soul  as  the 
brooks  beside  which  it  comes  into  being!  But,  lest  he 
be  accused  of  aiding  and  abetting  crime  against  the 
majesty  of  the  law,  this  chronicler  hastens  to  say  that 


80    THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

on  a  hot  day  in  the  harvest  field,  honest  water,  hidden 
away  in  a  little  brown  jug  in  the  fence  corner,  acquires 
a  quality  and  imparts  a  delight  that  no  mug  of  crystal 
or  of  gold  can  yield. 

As  Mr.  Ardmore  pondered  duty  and  the  jug  a  tall 
man  in  shabby  corduroy  halted  near  by  and  inspected 
him  carefully.  Mr.  Ardmore,  hard  upon  his  pipe,  had 
not  noticed  him,  somewhat,  it  seemed,  to  the  stranger's 
vexation.  He  patrolled  the  sidewalk  before  the  inn, 
hoping  to  attract  Ardmore's  attention,  but  finding  that 
the  young  man's  absorption  continued  he  presently 
dropped  into  a  neighboring  chair  under  the  maple  tree. 

"Good  morning,"  said  Ardmore  pleasantly. 

The  man  nodded,  but  did  not  speak.  He  was  examin 
ing  Ardmore  with  a  pair  of  small,  shrewd,  gray  eyes.  In 
his  hands  he  held  a  crumpled  bit  of  brown  paper  that 
looked  like  a  telegram. 

"Well,  I  reckon  you  jest  got  to  town  this  mornin', 
young  fella." 

"Yes,  certainly ;"  Ardmore  replied  promptly.  He  had 
never  been  addressed  in  quite  this  fashion  before,  but 
it  was  all  in  keeping  with  his  new  destiny  and  he  was 
immediately  interested  in  the  stranger,  who  was  well 
on  in  middle  age,  with  a  rough  grizzled  beard,  and  a 


DUTY   AND   THE   JUG  81 

soft  hat,  once  black,  that  now  struggled  for  a  compro 
mise  tint  between  yellow  and  green. 

"Ever  been  hyehbefo'?" 

"Never;  but  I'm  crazy  about  the  place  and  HI  be 
seen  here  a  good  deal  hereafter." 

Ardmore  produced  his  cigar-case  and  extended  it  to 
the  stranger.  The  man,  awed  by  the  splendor  of  the  case, 
accepted  a  cigar  a  little  gingerly. 

"Drummer,  I  reckon  ?" 

"Commercial  traveler,  we  prefer  to  be  designated/' 
replied  Ardmore  with  dignity. 

"I  guess  drummer's  good  enough  down  hyeh.  What 
y'u  carry?" 

"Jugs.  I'm  in  the  jug  business.  Never  had  any  busi 
ness  but  jugs." 

The  man  paused  in  lighting  his  cigar,  stared  at  Ard 
more  over  the  flaming  match,  drew  the  fire  into  the  cigax 
several  times,  then  settled  back  with  his  hands  in  his 
pockets. 

"Full  'r  empty?" 

"The  jugs  ?  Oh,  empty  jugs ;  but  it's  no  affair  of  mine 
what  becomes  of  the  jugs  afterwards." 

"Y'u  likely  got  samples  with  y'u?" 

"Well,  not  many.  You  see  my  line  is  so  well  known 


82    THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

I  don't  have  to  carry  samples  any  more.  The  trade 
knows  our  goods." 

"Stop  at  Kildare  on  the  way  up?"  and  the  stranger 
looked  about  guardedly. 

"Certainly,  my  friend,  I  always  'make'  Kildare,"  re 
plied  Ardmore,  using  a  phrase  he  had  acquired  at  break 
fast. 

"Train  runs  through  the'  pretty  late  at  night  ?" 

"Beastly.  But  I  hardly  ever  sleep,  anyhow.  A  man 
in  my  splendid  health  doesn't  need  sleep.  If  s  a  rotten 
waste  of  time." 

Silence  for  several  minutes ;  then  the  stranger  leaned 
forward  in  his  chair,  resting  his  elbows  on  his  knees, 
and  said  in  a  low  tone : 

"I  got  a  telegram  hyeh  says  y'u  got  a  jug  thet  y'u 
ain't  no  right  t'  last  night  at  Kildare.  I  want  thet  jug, 
young  fella," 

"Now  that's  very  unfortunate.  Ordinarily  I  should  be 
delighted,  but  I  really  couldn't  give  away  my  Kildare 
jug.  Now  if  it  was  one  of  my  other  jugs — even  my 
Omaha  jug,  or  my  dear  old  Louisville  jug — I  shouldn't 
hesitate  a  minute,  but  that  old  Kildare  jug!  My  dear 
man,  you  don't  know  what  you  ask !" 


DUTY   AND    THE   JUG  83 

"Y'll  give  me  thet  jug  or  it'll  be  the  worse  for  y'u. 
Y'u  ain't  in  thet  game,  young  fella." 

"Not  in  it!  You  don't  know  whom  you  are  address 
ing.  I'm  not  only  in  the  game,  but  I'm  in  to  the  finish," 
declared  Ardmore,  sitting  upright  in  his  chair.  "You've 
got  the  wrong  idea,  my  friend,  if  you  think  you  can  in 
timidate  me.  That  jug  was  given  me  by  a  friend,  a  very 
old  and  dear  friend — " 

"A  friend  of  yourn !" 

The  keen  little  gray  eyes  were  blinking  rapidly. 

"One  of  the  best  friends  I  ever  had  in  this  world," 
and  Ardmore's  face  showed  feeling.  "He  and  I  charged 
side  by  side  through  the  bloodiest  battles  of  our  Civil 
War.  I  will  cheerfully  give  you  my  watch,  or  money  in 
any  sum,  but  the  jug — I  will  part  with  my  life  first! 
And  now,"  concluded  Ardmore,  "while  I  should  be  glad 
to  continue  this  conversation,  my  duties  call  me  else 
where." 

As  he  rose,  the  man  stood  quickly  at  his  side,  menac 
ingly. 

"Give  me  thet  jug  or  I'll  shoot  y'u  right  hyeh  in  the 
street." 

"No,  you  wouldn't  do  that,  Old  Corduroy.   I  can  see 


84    THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDAEE 

that  you  are  kind  and  good  and  you  wouldn't  shoot  down 
an  unarmed  man.  Besides  it  would  muss  up  the  street." 

"Y'u  took  thet  jug  from  my  brother  by  lyin'  to  'irn. 
He's  telegraphed  me  to  git  it,  and  I'm  a-goin'  to  do  it." 

"Your  brother  sent  you?  It  was  nice  of  him  to  ask 
you  to  call  on  me.  Why,  I've  known  your  brother  inti 
mately  for  years." 

"Knowed  my  brother  ?"  and  for  the  first  time  the  man 
really  seemed  to  doubt  himself.  "Wheh  did  y'u  know 
Bill?" 

"We  roomed  together  at  Harvard,  that's  how  I  know 
him,  if  you  force  me  to  it !  We're  both  Hasty  Pudding 
men.  Now  if  you  try  to  bulldoze  me  further,  I'll  slap 
your  wrists.  So  there !" 

Ardmore  entered  the  hotel  deliberately,  climbed  to 
his  room  and  locked  the  door.  Then  he  seized  the  little 
brown  jug,  drew  the  stopper  and  poured  out  a  tumbler 
ful  of  clear  white  fluid.  He  took  a  swallow  and  shud 
dered  as  the  fiery  liquid  seemed  instantly  to  cause  every 
part  of  his  being  to  tingle.  He  wiped  the  tears  from 
his  eyes  and  sat  down.  The  corn-cob  stopper  had  fallen 
to  the  floor,  and  he  picked  it  up  and  examined  it  care 
fully.  It  had  been  fitted  tightly  into  the  mouth  of  the 
jug  by  the  addition  of  a  bit  of  calico,  and  he  fingered 


DUTY   AND    THE   JUG  85 

it  for  a  moment  with  a  grin  on  his  face.  He  was,  con 
sidering  his  tranquil  past,  making  history  rapidly,  and 
he  wished  that  Griswold,  whom  he  imagined  safely 
away  on  his  law  business  at  Richmond,  could  see  him 
now,  embarked  upon  a  serious  adventure,  that  had  al 
ready  brought  him  into  collision  with  a  seemingly  sane 
man  who  had  threatened  him  with  death.  Griswold  had 
been  quite  right  about  their  woeful  incapacity  for  rising 
to  emergencies,  but  the  episode  of  the  jugs  at  Kildare 
was  exactly  the  sort  of  thing  they  had  discussed  time 
and  time  again,  and  it  promised  well.  His  throat  was 
raw,  as  though  burned  with  acid,  and  it  occurred  to 
him  for  an  anxious  moment  that  perhaps  he  had  im 
bibed  a  poison  intended  for  the  governor. 

He  was  about  to  replace  the  cob  stopper  when,  to  his 
astonishment,  it  broke  in  his  fingers,  and  out  fell  a 
carefully  folded  slip  of  paper.  He  carried  it  to  the  win 
dow  and  opened  it,  finding  that  it  was  an  ordinary  tele 
graph  blank  on  which  was  written  in  clear  round  char 
acters  these  words: 

The  Appleweight  crowd  never  done  you  harm.  If  you 
have  any  of  them  arrested  you  will  be  shot  down  on  your 
own  doorstep. 

When  Mr.  Thomas  Ardmore  had  read  this  message 


86    THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

half  a  dozen  times  with  increasing  satisfaction  he  folded 
it  carefully  and  put  it  away  in  his  pocket-book. 

Taking  half  a  sheet  of  note  paper  he  wrote  as  follows : 

Appleweight  and  his  gang  are  cowards.  Within  ten  days 
those  that  have  not  been  hanged  will  be  in  jail  at  Kildare. 

He  studied  the  phraseology  critically  and  then  placed 
the  paper  in  the  cob  stopper  whose  halves  he  tied  to 
gether  with  a  bit  of  twine.  As  the  jug  stood  on  the  table 
it  was,  to  all  appearances,  exactly  as  it  had  been  when 
delivered  to  Ardmore  on  the  rear  of  the  train  at  Kildare, 
and  he  was  thoroughly  well  pleased  with  himself.  He 
changed  the  blue  scarf  with  which  he  had  begun  the  day 
for  one  of  purple  with  gold  bars,  and  walked  up  the 
street  toward  the  state  house. 

This  venerable  edifice,  meekly  reposing  amid  noble 
trees,  struck  agreeably  upon  Ardmore's  fancy.  Here 
was  government  enthroned  in  quiet  dignity,  as  becomes 
a  venerable  commonwealth,  wearing  its  years  like  a 
veteran  who  has  known  war  and  tumult,  but  finds  at 
last  tranquillity  and  peace.  He  experienced  a  feeling  of 
awe,  without  quite  knowing  it,  as  he  strolled  up  the 
walk,  climbed  the  steps  to  the  portico  and  turned  to  look 
back  from  the  shadow  of  the  pillars.  He  had  never  but 


DUTY   AND    THE    JUG  87 

once  before  visited  an  American  public  building- — the 
New  York  city  hall — and  he  felt  that  now,  indeed,  he 
had  turned  a  corner  and  entered  upon  a  new  and  strange 
world.  He  had  watched  army  maneuvers  abroad  with 
about  the  same  attention  that  he  gave  to  a  ballet,  and 
with  a  like  feeling  of  beholding  a  show  contrived  for 
the  amusement  of  spectators ;  but  there  was  not  even  a 
policeman  here  to  represent  arsenals  and  bayonets.  The 
only  minion  of  government  in  sight  was  the  languid 
operator  of  a  lawn-mower,  which  rattled  and  hummed 
cheerily  in  the  shadow  of  the  soldiers'  monument.  There 
was  something  fine  about  a  people,  who,  as  he  learned 
from  the  custodian,  would  not  shake  down  these  his 
toric  walls  obedient  to  the  demands  of  prosperity  and 
growth,  but  sent  increased  business  to  find  lodgment 
elsewhere.  He  ascended  to  the  toy-like  legislative  cham 
bers,  where  flags  of  nation  and  state  hung  side  by  side, 
and  where  the  very  seats  and  desks  of  the  law-makers 
spoke  of  other  times  and  manners. 

Mr.  Ardmore,  feeling  that  he  should  now  be  about  his 
business,  sought  the  governor's  office,  where  a  secretary, 
who  seemed  harassed  by  the  cares  of  his  position,  con 
firmed  Ardmore's  knowledge  of  the  governor's  absence. 

"I  didn't  wish  to  see  the  governor  on  business,"  ex- 


88    THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

plained  Ardmore  pleasantly,  leaning  upon  his  stick  with 
an  air  of  leisure.  "He  and  my  father  were  old  friends, 
and  I  always  promised  my  father  that  I  would  never 
pass  through  Raleigh  without  calling  on  Governor  Dan- 
gerfield." 

"That  is  too  bad,"  remarked  the  young  man  sympa 
thetically,  though  with  a  preoccupation  that  was  elo 
quent  of  larger  affairs. 

"Could  you  tell  me  whether  any  members  of  the  gov 
ernor's  family  are  at  home?" 

"Oh,  yes;  Mrs.  Dangerfield  and  Miss  Jerry  are  at 
the  mansion." 

"Miss  Jerry?" 

"Miss  Geraldine.  We  all  call  her  Miss  Jerry  in  North 
Carolina." 

"Oh,  yes;  to  be  sure.  Let  me  see;  it's  over  this  way 
to  the  mansion,  isn't  it  ?"  inquired  Ardmore. 

"No ;  out  the  other  end  of  the  building — and  turn  to 
your  right.  You  can't  miss  it." 

The  room  was  quiet,  the  secretary  a  young  man  of 
address  and  intelligence.  Here,  without  question,  was 
the  place  for  Ardmore  to  discharge  his  business  and  be 
quit  of  it;  but  having  at  last  snatched  a  commission 
from  fleeting  opportunity  it  was  not  for  him  to  throw  it 


DUTY   AND    THE    JUG  89 

to  another  man.  As  he  opened  the  door  to  leave,  the 
secretary  arrested  him. 

"Oh,  Mr. — pardon  me,  but  did  you  come  in  from  the 
south  this  morning?" 

"Yes ;  I  came  up  on  the  Tar  Heel  Express  from  At 
lanta/' 

"To  be  sure.  Of  course  you  didn't  sit  up  all  night? 
There's  some  trouble  brewing  around  Kildare.  I 
thought  you  might  have  heard  something,  but  of  course 
you  couldn't  have  been  awake  at  two  o'clock  in  the 
morning?" 

The  secretary  was  so  anxious  to  acquit  him  of  any 
knowledge  of  the  situation  at  Kildare  that  it  seemed 
kindest  to  tell  him  nothing.  The  secretary's  face  lost 
its  anxiety  for  a  moment,  and  he  smiled. 

"The  governor  has  an  old  friend  and  admirer  up  there 
who  always  puts  a  jug  of  fresh  buttermilk  on  board 
when  he  passes  through.  The  governor  was  expected 
home  this  morning,  and  I  thought  maybe — " 

"You're  positive  it's  always  buttermilk,  are  you?" 
asked  Ardmore  with  a  grin. 

"Certainly,"  replied  the  secretary  with  dignity.  "Gov 
ernor  Dangerfield's  sentiments  as  to  the  liquor  traffic 
are  well  known." 


90    THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

"Of  course,  all  the  world  knows  that.  But  I'm  afraid 
all  jugs  look  alike  to  me;  but  then,  the  fact  is  I'm  in 
the  jug  business  myself.  Good  morning." 

The  governor's  mansion  was  easily  found,  and  having 
walked  about  the  neighborhood  until  his  watch  marked 
eleven  Ardmore  entered  the  grounds  and  rang  the  bell 
at  the  front  door. 

Once  within,  the  air  of  domestic  peace,  the  pictures 
on  the  walls,  a  whip  and  a  felt  hat  with  a  blue  band,  on 
the  hall  table,  and  a  book  on  a  chair  in  the  drawing-room, 
turned  down  to  mark  the  absent  reader's  place,  rebuked 
him  for  his  impudence.  If  he  had  known  just  how  to 
escape  he  would  have  done  so;  but  the  maid  who  ad 
mitted  him  had  said  that  Miss  Dangerfield  was  at  home, 
and  had  gone  in  search  of  her  with  Ardmore's  card.  He 
deserved  to  be  sent  to  jail  for  entering  a  gentleman's 
house  in  this  way.  He  realized  now,  when  it  was  too 
late,  that  he  ought  to  have  brought  letters  to  one  of  the 
banks  and  been  introduced  to  the  Dangerfields  by  some 
gentleman  of  standing,  if  he  wished  to  know  them.  The 
very  portraits  on  the  walls,  the  photographs  on  the 
mantel  and  table  frowned  coldly  upon  him.  The  foun 
dations  of  his  character  were  set  in  sand ;  he  knew  that, 
because  he  had  found  it  so  easy  to  lie,  and  he  had  been 


DUTY   AND    THE    JUG  91 

told  in  his  youth  that  one  sin  paved  the  way  for  another. 
He  would  take  the  earliest  train  for  Ardsley  and  bury 
himself  there  for  the  remainder  of  his  days.  He  had 
hardly  formed  this  resolution  when  a  light  step  sounded 
in  the  hall,  and  Miss  Geraldine  Dangerfield  stood  at  the 
threshold.  His  good  resolutions  went  down  like  a  house 
of  cards. 

"Miss  Dangerfield,"  he  began,  "I  had  the  pleasure  of 
meeting  your  father  in  New  Orleans  the  other  day,  and 
as  I  was  passing  through  town  unexpectedly,  I  thought 
I  should  give  myself  the  pleasure  of  calling  on  him.  He 
said  that  in  case  I  found  him  absent  I  might  call  upon 
you.  In  fact,  he  wrote  a  line  on  a  card  for  me  to  pre 
sent,  but  I  stupidly  left  it  at  my  hotel." 

They  faced  each  other  in  the  dim,  cool  room  for  what 
seemed  to  him  endless  centuries.  She  was  much  younger 
than  he  had  imagined ;  but  her  eyes  were  blue,  just  as  he 
remembered  them,  and  her  abundant  light  hair  curled 
away  from  her  forehead  in  pretty  waves,  and  was  tied 
to-day  with  a  large  bow  of  blue  ribbon.  For  an  instant 
she  seemed  puzzled  or  mystified,  but  her  blue  eyes  re 
garded  him  steadily.  The  very  helplessness  of  her 
youth,  the  simplicity  of  her  blue  linen  gown,  the  girlish 
ribbon  in  her  hair,  proclaimed  him  blackguard. 


92     THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

''Won't  you  please  sit  down,  Mr.  Ardmore  ?" 

And  when  they  were  seated  there  was  another  pause, 
during  which  the  blue  eyes  continued  to  take  account  of 
him,  and  he  fingered  his  tie,  feeling  sure  that  there  was 
something  wrong  with  it. 

"It's  warm,  isn't  it?" 

"I  suppose  it  is.  It's  a  way  summer  has,  of  being 
mostly  warm." 

He  was  quite  sure  that  she  was  laughing  at  him ;  there 
was  a  tinge  of  irony  in  the  very  way  in  which  she  pro 
nounced  "wa'm,"  lingeringly,  as  though  to  prolong  her 
contempt  for  his  stupidity  in  not  finding  anything  better 
to  say. 

She  had  taken  the  largest  chair  in  the  room,  and  it 
seemed  to  hide  her  away  in  its  shadows,  so  that  she  could 
examine  him  at  her  leisure  as  he  sat  under  a  win 
dow  in  the  full  glare  of  its  light. 

"I  enjoyed  meeting  your  father  so  much,  Miss  Dan- 
gerfield.  I  think  we  are  always  likely  to  be  afraid  of 
great  men,  but  your  father  made  me  feel  at  home  at 
once.  And  he  tells  such  capital  stories — I've  been  laugh 
ing  over  them  ever  since  I  left  New  Orleans." 

"Father  has  quite  a  reputation  for  his  stories.  When 
did  you  leave  New  Orleans,  Mr.  Ardmore  ?" 


DUTY   AND    THE   JUG  93 

"Sunday  night.  I  stopped  in  Atlanta  a  few  hours 
and  came  on  through.  What  a  fine  old  town  Atlanta  is ; 
don't  you  think  so  ?" 

"I  certainly  do  not,  Mr.  Ardmore.  It's  so  dreadfully 
northernized." 

When  she  said  "no'thenized"  her  intonation  gave  the 
word  a  fine  cutting  edge. 

"I  suppose,  Mr.  Ardmore,  that  you  saw  papa  at  the 
luncheon  at  the  Pharos  Club  in  New  Orleans  ?" 

"Why,  yes,  Miss  Dangerfield.  It  was  there  I  met  the 
governor !" 

."Are  you  sure  it  was  there,  Mr.  Ardmore  ?" 

"Why,  I  think  that  was  the  place.  I  don't  know  my 
New  Orleans  as  I  should,  but — " 

Ardmore  was  suddenly  conscious  that  Miss  Danger- 
field  had  risen  and  that  she  stood  before  him,  with  her 
fair  face  the  least  bit  flushed,  her  blue  eyes  alight  with 
anger,  and  that  the  hands  at  her  sides  were  clenched 
nervously. 

"My  father  was  not  at  luncheon  at  the  Pharos  Club, 
Mr.  Ardmore.  You  never  saw  my  father  in  your  life. 
I  know  why  it  is  you  came  here,  and  if  you  are  not  out 
of  that  door  in  one  second  I  shall  call  the  servants  and 
have  them  throw  you  out." 


94    THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

She  ceased  abruptly  and  turned  to  look  into  the  hall 
where  steps  sounded. 

"Is  that  you,  Jerry?" 

"Yes,  mama;  I'll  be  up  in  just  a  minute.  Please 
don't  wait  for  me.  It's  only  the  man  to  see  about  the 
plumbing." 

The  lady  who  had  appeared  for  an  instant  at  the  door 
went  on  slowly  up  the  stairs,  and  the  girl  held  Ard- 
more  silent  with  her  steady  eyes  until  the  step  died 
away  above. 

"I  know  what  you  want  my  father  for.  Mr.  Billings 
and  you  are  both  pursuing  him — ifs  infamous,  out 
rageous  !  And  it  isn't  his  fault.  I  would  have  you  know 
that  my  father  is  an  honorable  man !" 

The  bayonets  were  at  his  breast:  he  would  ask  for 
mercy. 

"Miss  Dangerfield,  you  are  quite  mistaken  about  me. 
I  shall  leave  Raleigh  at  once,  but  I  don't  want  you  to 
think  I  came  here  on  any  errand  to  injure  or  annoy 
your  father." 

"You  are  one  of  those  Ardmores,  and  Mr.  Billings 
represents  you.  You  thought  you  could  come  here  and 
trick  me  into  telling  where  my  father  is.  But  I  am  not 
so  easily  caught.  My  mother  is  ill  because  of  all  this 


DUTY   AND    THE    JUG  95 

trouble,  and  I  must  go  to  her.  But  first  I  want  to  see 
that  you  leave  this  house !" 

"Oh,  Fm  sorry  you  are  in  trouble.  On  my  honor,  Miss 
Dangerfield,  I  know  nothing  of  Billings  and  his  business 
with  your  father/' 

"I  suppose  you  will  deny  that  you  saw  Mr.  Billings  in 
Atlanta  yesterday  ?" 

"Why,  no.    I  can't  exactly—" 

"You'd  better  not!  I  saw  you  there  talking  to  him; 
and  I  suppose  he  sent  you  here  to  see  what  you  could 
find  out/' 

The  room  whirled  a  moment  as  she  dealt  this  stagger 
ing  blow.  Billings,  of  the  Bronx  Loan  and  Trust  Com 
pany,  had  said  that  Miss  Dangerfield  was  peppery,  but 
his  employment  of  this  trifling  term  only  illustrated  his 
weak  command  of  the  English  language.  It  is  not  pleas 
ant  to  be  pilloried  for  undreamed-of  crimes,  and  Ard- 
more's  ears  tingled.  He  must  plunge  deeper  and  trust 
to  the  gods  of  chance  to  save  him.  He  brought  himself 
together  with  an  effort,  and  spoke  so  earnestly  that  the 
words  rang  oddly  in  his  own  ears. 

"Miss  Dangerfield,  you  may  call  me  anything  you 
please,  but  I  am  not  quite  the  scoundrel  you  think  me. 
It's  true  that  I  was  not  in  New  Orleans,  and  I  never  saw 


96    THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  K1LDARE 

your  father  in  my  life.  I  came  to  Raleigh  on  a  mission 
that  has  absolutely  nothing  to  do  with  Mr.  Billings ;  he 
did  not  know  I  was  coming.  On  the  way  here  a  message 
intended  for  your  father  came  into  my  hands.  It  was 
thrown  on  the  train  at  Kildare  last  night.  I  had  gone 
out  on  the  platform  because  the  sleeper  was  hot,  and  a 
warning  to  your  father  to  keep  his  hands  off  of  Apple- 
weight  was  given  to  me.  Here  it  is.  It  seems  to  me  that 
there  is  immediate  danger  in  this,  and  I  want  to  help 
you.  I  want  to  do  anything  I  can  for  you.  I  didn't  come 
here  to  pry  into  your  family  secrets,  Miss  Dangerfield, 
honestly  I  didn't !" 

She  took  the  piece  of  paper  into  her  slim  little  hands 
and  read  it,  slowly  nodding  her  head,  as  if  the  words 
only  confirmed  some  earlier  knowledge  of  the  threat  they 
contained.  Then  she  lifted  her  head,  and  her  eyes  were 
bright  with  mirth  as  Ardmore's  wondering  gaze  met 
them. 

"Did  2/ougetthe  jug?" 

"I  got  two  jugs,  to  tell  the  truth;  but  when  they 
seemed  dissatisfied  and  howled  for  me  to  give  one  back, 
I  threw  off  the  buttermilk." 

ffYou  threw  back  father's  buttermilk  to  the  man  who 
gave  you  the  applejack  ?  Oh !  oh !" 


DUTY   AND    THE    JUG  97 

Miss  Jerry  Dangerfteld  sat  down  and  laughed;  and 
Ardmore,  glad  of  an  opportunity  to  escape,  found  his 
hat  and  rushed  from  the  house. 


CHAPTER   V 

MR.   ARDMORE   OFFICIALLY   RECOGNIZED 

"She  never  did  it ;  she  never,  never  did !" 
Mr.  Ardmore,  from  a  bench  in  the  State  House  park, 
thus  concluded  a  long  reverie.  It  was  late  after 
noon,  and  he  had  forgotten  luncheon  in  his  absorption. 
There  was  no  manner  of  use  in  recurring  again  to  that 
episode  of  the  lonely  siding.  He  had  found  the  girl — 
(indubitably  the  girl) — but  not  the  wink!  Miss  Jerry 
Dangerfield  was  not  the  winking  sort;  he  was  well 
satisfied  on  that  point,  and  so  thoroughly  ashamed 
into  the  bargain  that  he  resolved  to  lead  a  different  life 
and  be  very  heedful  of  the  cry  of  the  poor  in  the  future. 
His  emotions  had  never  been  taxed  as  to-day,  and  he 
hoped  that  he  might  never  again  suffer  the  torture  he 
had  experienced  as  he  waited  in  the  governor's  drawing- 
room  for  Miss  Dangerfield  to  appear.  After  that  agony 
it  had  been  a  positive  relief  to  be  ordered  out  of  the 
house.  Her  anger  when  she  caught  him  lying  about 
having  met  her  father  in  New  Orleans  was  superior  to 

98 


MR.  ARDMORE  OFFICIALLY  RECOGNIZED     99 

any  simulated  rage  he  had  ever  seen  on  the  stage,  and 
no  girl  with  a  winking  eye  would  be  capable  of  it.  He 
was  not  clever;  he  knew  that;  but  if  he  had  had  the 
brains  of  a  monkey  he  would  not  have  risked  his  foolish 
wits  against  those  of  a  girl  like  Geraldine  Dangerfield, 
who  had  led  him  into  an  ambush  and  then  shot  him  to 
pieces. 

"She  threatened  to  have  the  servants  throw  me  out !" 
he  groaned.  And  her  slight,  tense  figure  rose  before  him, 
and  her  voice,  still  the  voice  of  young  girlhood,  rang  in 
his  ears.  As  she  read  the  threatening  message  from  Kil- 
dare  he  had  noted  the  fineness  of  her  hands,  the 
curve  of  her  fair  cheek,  the  wayward  curls  on  her  fore 
head,  and  he  remembered  all  these  things  now,  but  more 
than  anything  else  her  wrath,  the  tiny  fists,  the  flashing 
eyes  as  she  confronted  him.  As  he  sat  dejectedly  on  his 
park  bench  he  was  unaware  that  Miss  Geraldine  Dan 
gerfield,  walking  hurriedly  through  the  park  on  her  way 
from  the  governor's  mansion  to  the  state  house,  passed 
^directly  behind  him.  His  attitude  was  so  eloquent  of 
despair  that  it  could  not  have  failed  to  move  a  much 
harder  heart  than  that  of  Miss  Dangerfield,  yet  she 
made  no  sign ;  but  a  few  minutes  later  the  private  secre 
tary  came  out  on  the  steps  of  the  state  house,  and  after  a 


100  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

brief  survey  of  the  landscape  crossed  the  lawn  and  called 
Ardmore  by  name. 

"I  beg  your  pardon,  but  Miss  Dangerfield  wished  me 
to  say  that  she'd  like  to  see  you  for  a  minute.  She's  at 
the  governor's  office." 

A  prisoner,  sentenced  to  death,  and  unexpectedly  re 
prieved  with  the  rope  already  on  his  neck,  could  not 
experience  greater  relief  than  that  which  brought  Mr. 
Thomas  Ardmore  to  his  feet. 

"You  are  sure  of  it — that  there's  no  mistake?" 

"Certainly  not.  Miss  Dangerfield  told  me  I  was  to 
bring  you  back." 

Enthroned  at  the  secretary's  desk,  a  mass  of  papers 
before  her,  Miss  Geraldine  Dangerfield  awaited  him. 
He  was  ready  to  place  his  head  on  the  block  in  sheer 
contrition  for  his  conduct,  but  she  herself  took  the  initi 
ative,  and  her  tone  was  wholly  amiable. 

"This  morning,  Mr.  Ardmore — " 

"Oh,  please  forget  this  morning !"  he  pleaded. 

"But  I  was  rude  to  you;  I  threatened  to  have  you 
thrown  out  of  the  house;  and  you  had  come  to*  do  us  a 
favor." 

"Miss  Dangerfield,  I  can  not  lie  to  you.  You  are  one 
of  the  most  difficult  persons  to 'lie  to  that  I  have  ever 


ME.  AEDMORE  OFFICIALLY  RECOGNIZED   101 

met.  I  didn't  come  to  Ealeigh  just  to  warn  your  father 
that  his  life  was  threatened.  I  can't  lie  to  you  about 
that—" 

"Then  you  are  a  spy?"  and  Miss  Dangerlield  started 
forward  in  her  chair  so  suddenly  that  Ardmore  dropped 
his  hat. 

"No !  I  am  not  a  spy !  I  don't  care  anything  about 
your  father.  I  never  heard  of  him  until  yesterday." 

"Well,  I  like  that !"  ejaculated  Miss  Dangerfield. 

"Oh,  I  mean  that  I  wasn't  interested  in  him — why 
should  I  be  ?  I  don't  know  anything  about  politics." 

"Neither  does  father.  That's  why  he's  governor.  If 
he  were  a  politician  he'd  be  a  senator.  But" — and  she 
folded  her  hands  and  eyed  him  searchingly — "here's  a 
lot  of  telegrams  from  the  sheriff  of  Dilwell  County 
about  that  jug.  How  on  earth  did  you  come  to  get  it  ?" 

"Lied,  of  course.  I  allowed  them  to  think  I  was  in 
timately  associated  in  business  with  the  governor,  and 
they  began  passing  me  jugs.  Then  the  man  who  gave 
the  jug  with  that  message  in  the  cork  got  suspicious,  and 
I  dropped  the  buttermilk  jug  back  to  him." 

"You  traded  buttermilk  for  moonshine  ?" 

"I  shouldn't  exactly  call  it  moonshine.  It's  more  like 
dynamite  than  anything  else.  I've  written  a  reply  to 


102  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

the  note  and  put  it  back  in  the  cork,  and  I'm  going  to 
return  it  to  Kildare." 

"What  answer  did  you  make  to  that  infamous  effort 
to  intimidate  my  father  ?"  demanded  Miss  Dangerfield. 

"I  told  the  Appleweight  gang  that  they  are  a  lot  of 
cowards,  and  that  the  governor  will  have  them  all  in  jail 
or  hanged  within  ten  days." 

"Splendid !  Perfectly  splendid !  Did  you  really  say 
that?" 

"What  else  could  I  do  ?  I  knew  that  that's  what  the 
governor  would  say — he'd  have  to  say  it — so  I  thought 
I'd  save  him  the  trouble." 

"Where's  the  jug  now,  Mr.  Ardmore  ?" 

"In  my  room  at  the  hotel.  The  gang  must  have  some 
body  on  guard  here.  A  gentleman  who  seemed  to  be 
one  of  them  called  on  me  this  morning,  demanding  the 
jug;  and  if  he's  the  man  I  think  he  is,  he's  stolen  the 
little  brown  jug  from  my  room  in  the  hotel  by  this 
time." 

Miss  Dangerfield  had  picked  up  a  spool  of  red  tape 
and  was  unwinding  it  slowly  in  her  fingers  and  rewind 
ing  it.  They  were  such  nice  little  hands,  and  so  peaceful 
in  their  aimless  trifling  with  the  tape  that  he  was  sure 
his  eyes  had  betrayed  him  into  imagining  she  had 


MR.  ARDMORE  OFFICIALLY  RECOGNIZED   103 

clenched  them  in  the  quiet  drawing-room  at  the  man 
sion.  This  office,  now  that  its  atmosphere  enveloped  him, 
was  almost  as  domestic  as  the  house  in  which  she  lived. 
The  secretary  had  vanished,  and  a  Sabbath  quiet  was 
on  the  place.  The  white  inner  shutters  swung  open,  af 
fording  a  charming  prospect  of  the  trees,  the  lawn 
and  the  monument  in  the  park  outside.  And,  pleas- 
antest  of  all,  and  most  soothing  to  his  weary  senses, 
she  was  tolerating  him  now;  she  had  even  expressed 
approval  of  something  he  had  done,  and  he  had  never 
hoped  for  this.  She  had  not  even  pressed  him  to  dis 
close  his  real  purpose  in  visiting  Raleigh,  and  he  prayed 
tli at  she  would  not  return  to  this  subject,  for  he  had 
utterly  lost  the  conceit  of  his  own  lying  gift.  Miss 
Dangerfield  threw  down  the  spool  of  tape  and  bent 
toward  him  gravely. 

"Mr.  Ardmore,  can  you  keep  a  secret  ?" 

"Nobody  ever  tried  me  with  one,  but  I  think  I  can, 
Miss  Dangerfield,"  he  murmured  humbly. 

"Then  please  stand  up." 

And  Ardmore  rose,  a  little  sheepishly,  like  a  school 
boy  who  fears  blame  and  praise  alike.  Miss  Dangerfield 
lifted  one  of  the  adorable  hands  solemnly. 

"I,  acting  governor  of  North  Carolina,  hereby  appoint 


104  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

you  my  private  secretary,  and  may  God  have  mercy  on 
your  soul.  You  may  now  sit  down,  Mr.  Secretary." 

"But  I  thought  there  was  a  secretary  already.  And 
besides,  I  don't  write  a  very  good  hand/'  Ardmore  stam 
mered. 

"I  am  just  sending  Mr.  Bassford  to  Atlanta  to  find 
papa.  He's  already  gone,  or  will  be  pretty  soon." 

"But  I  thought  your  father  would  be  home  to-night." 

Miss  Dangerfield  looked  out  of  the  open  window  upon 
the  park,  then  into  the  silent  outer  hall,  to  be  sure  she 
was  not  overheard. 

"Papa  will  not  be  at  home  to-night,  or  probably  to 
morrow  night,  or  the  night  afterward.  I'm  not  sure 
we'll  wait  next  Christmas  dinner  for  papa." 

"But  of  course  you  know  where  he  is !  It  isn't  pos 
sible — "  and  Ardmore  stared  in  astonishment  into  Miss 
Dangerfield's  tranquil  blue  eyes. 

"It  is  possible.  Papa  is  ducking  his  official  responsi 
bilities.  That's  what's  the  matter  with  papa!  And  I 
guess  they're  enough  to  drive  any  man  into  the  woods. 
Just  look  at  all  this !" 

Miss  Dangerneld  rested  one  of  those  diminutive  hands 
of  hers  on  the  pile  of  documents,  letters  and  telegrams 
the  secretary  had  left  behind  him;  with  a  nod  of  the 


MR.  ARDMORE  OFFICIALLY  RECOGNIZED   105 

head  she  indicated  the  governor's  desk  in  the  inner  room, 
and  it,  too,  was  piled  high  with  documents. 

"I  supposed,"  faltered  Ardmore,  "that  in  the  absence 
of  the  governor  the  lieutenant-governor  would  act,  I 
think  I  read  that  once." 

"You  must  have  read  it  wrong,  Mr.  Ardmore.  In 
North  Carolina,  in  the  absence  of  the  governor,  I  am 
governor !  Don't  look  so  shocked ;  when  I  say  I,  I  mean 
I — me!  Do  you  understand  what  I  said?" 

"I  heard  what  you  said,  Miss  Dangerfield." 

"I  mean  what  I  said,  Mr.  Ardmore.  I  have  taken  you 
into  my  confidence  because  I  don't  know  you.  I  don't 
know  anything  about  you.  I  don't  want  to  know  any 
thing  about  you.  I'd  be  ashamed  to  ask  anybody  I  know 
to  help  me.  The  people  of  North  Carolina  must  never 
know  that  the  governor  is  absent  during  times  of  great 
public  peril.  And  if  you  are  afraid,  Mr.  Ardmore,  you 
had  better  not  accept  the  position." 

"There's  nothing  I  wouldn't  do  for  you,"  blurted 
Ardmore. 

"I'm  not  asking  you — I  would  not  ask  you — to  do  any 
thing  for  me.  I  am  asking  you  to  do  it  for  the  Old 
North  State.  Our  relations,  Mr.  Ardmore,  will  not  be 
social,  but  purely  official.  Do  you  accept  the  terms  ?" 


106  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

"I  do ;  and  I  warn  you  now  that  I.  shall  never  resign." 

"I  have  heard  papa  say  that  life  is  short  and  the  ten 
ure  of  office  uncertain.  I  can  remove  you  at  any  time  I 
please.  Now  do  you  understand  that  this  is  a  serious 
business?  There's  likely  to  be  a  lot  of  trouble,  and  no 
time  for  asking  questions,  so  when  I  say  it's  so  it's  so." 

"It's  so,"  repeated  Ardmore  docilely. 

"Now,  here's  the  sheriff  at  Kildare,  on  our  side  of  the 
line,  who  writes  to  say  that  he  is  powerless  to  catch 
Appleweight.  He's  afraid  of  the  dark,  that  man !  You 
see,  the  grand  jury  in  Dilwell  County — that's  Kildare, 
you  know — has  indicted  Appleweight  as  a  common  out 
law,  but  the  grand  jurors  were  all  friends  of  Apple- 
weight  and  the  indictment  was  only  to  satisfy  law-and- 
order  sentiment  and  appease  the  Woman's  Civic  League 
of  Raleigh.  Now,  papa  doesn't — I  mean  I  don't  want  to 
offend  those  Appleweight  people  by  meddling  in  this 
business.  Papa  wants  Governor  Osborne  to  arrest  Apple- 
weight  in  South  Carolina ;  but  I  don't  believe  Governor 
Osborne  will  dare  do  anything  about  it.  Now,  Mr.  Ard 
more,  I  am  not  going  to  have  papa  called  a  coward  by 
anybody,  particularly  by  South  Carolina  people,  after 
what  Governor  Osborne  said  of  our  state." 


MR.  ARDMORE  OFFICIALLY  RECOGNIZED   107 

"Why,  what  did  he  say?" 

"He  said  in  a  speech  at  Charleston  last  winter  that 
no  people  who  fry  their  meat  can  ever  amount  to  any 
thing,  and  he  meant  us !  I  can  never  forgive  him  for 
that;  besides,  his  daughter  is  the  stuck-upest  thing! 
And  I'd  like  Barbara  Osborne  to  tell  me  how  she  got 
into  the  Colonial  Dames,  and  what  call  she  has  to  be 
inspector-general  of  the  Granddaughters  of  the  Mexican 
War;  for  Fve  heard  my  grandfather  Dangerfield  say 
many  a  time  that  old  Colonel  Osborne  and  his  South 
Carolina  regiment  never  did  go  outside  of  Charleston 
until  the  war  was  over  and  the  American  army  had  come 
back  home." 

One  tiny  fist  this  time!  Ardmore  was  sure  of  it. 
Her  indignation  against  the  Osbornes  was  so  sincere,  the 
pouting  petulance  to  which  it  diminished  so  like  a 
child's,  and  the  gravity  of  the  offense  so  novel  in  his 
simple  experiences,  that  Ardmore  was  bound  in  chains 
before  her  speech  was  finished.  The  little  drawl  with 
which  she  concluded  gave  heightened  significance  to  her 
last  three  words,  so  that  it  seemed  that  all  the  veterans 
of  the  war  with  Mexico  trudged  by,  bearing  the  flag  of 
North  Carolina  and  no  other  banner. 


108  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

"Governor  Osborne  is  a  contemptible  ruffian/3  declared 
Ardmore  with  deep  feeling. 

Miss  Dangerfield  nodded  judicial  approval,  and  set 
tled  back  in  her  chair  the  better  to  contemplate  her  new 
secretary,  and  said : 

"I'm  a  Daughter  of  the  Confederacy  and  a  Colonial 
Dame.  What  are  you?" 

"I  suppose  you'll  never  speak  to  me  again ;  papa  sent 
three  expensive  substitutes  to  the  Civil  War." 

"Three!    Horrible!" 

"Two  of  them  deserted,  and  one  fell  into  the  Potomac 
on  his  way  south  and  was  drowned.  I  guess  they  didn't 
do  you  folks  much  harm." 

"We'll  forgive  you  that ;  but  what  did  your  ancestors 
do  in  the  Revolution  ?" 

"I'm  ashamed  to  say  that  my  great-grandfather  was 
a  poor  guesser.  He  died  during  Washington's  second 
administration  still  believing  the  Revolution  a  failure." 

"Do  you  speak  of  the  war  of  1861  as  the  Rebellion  or 
as  the  war  between  the  states  ?  I  advise  you  to  be  care 
ful  what  you  say,"  and  Miss  Jerry  Dangerfield  was 
severe. 

"I  don't  believe  I  ever  mentioned  it  either  way,  so 
I'm  willing  to  take  your  word  for  it." 


ME.  ARDMORE  OFFICIALLY  RECOGNIZED   109 

"The  second  form  is  correct,  Mr.  Ardmore.  When 
well-bred  Southern  people  say  Rebellion  they  refer  to 
the  uprising  of  177G  against  the  British  oppressor/' 

"Good.  I'm  sure  I  shall  never  get  them  mixed.  Now 
that  you  are  the  governor,  what  are  you  going  to  do  first 
about  Appleweight  ?" 

"I've  written — that  is  to  say,  papa  wrote  before  he 
went  away,  a  strong  letter  to  Governor  Osborne,  com 
plaining  that  Appleweight  was  hiding  in  South  Caro 
lina  and  running  across  the  state  line  to  rob  and  murder 
people  in  North  Carolina.  Papa  told  Governor  Osborne 
that  he  must  break  up  the  Appleweight  crowd  or  he 
would  do  something  about  it  himself.  It's  a  splendid 
letter;  you  would  think  that  even  a  coward  like  Governor 
Osborne  would  do  something  after  getting  such  a  letter." 

"Didn't  he  answer  the  letter?" 

"Answer  it?  He  never  got  it!  Papa  didn't  send  it; 
that's  the  reason !  Papa's  the  kindest  man  in  the  world, 
and  he  must  have  been  afraid  of  hurting  Governor  Os- 
borne's  feelings.  He  wrote  the  letter,  expecting  to  send 
it,  but  when  he  went  off  to  New  Orleans  he  told  Mr. 
Bassford  to  hold  it  till  he  got  back.  He  had  even 
signed  it — you  can  read  it  if  you  like." 

It  was  undoubtedly  a  vigorous  epistle,  and  Ardmore 


110  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

felt  the  thrill  of  its  rhetorical  sentences  as  he  read.  The 
official  letter  paper  on  which  it  was  typewritten,  and  the 
signature  of  William  Dangerfield,  governor  of  North 
Carolina,  affixed  in  a  bold  hand,  were  sobering  in  them 
selves.  The  dignity  and  authority  of  one  of  the  sov 
ereign  American  states  was  represented  here,  and  he 
handed  the  paper  back  to  Miss  Dangerfield  as  tenderly 
as  though  it  had  beea  the  original  draft  of  Magna 
Charta. 

"It's  a  corker,  all  right." 

"I  don't  much  like  the  way  it  ends.  It  says,  right 
here" — and  she  bent  forward  and  pointed  to  the  place 
under  criticism — "it  says,  'Trusting  to  your  sense  of 
equity,  and  relying  upon  a  continuance  of  the  tradi 
tional  friendship  between  your  state  and  mine,  I  am,  sir, 
awaiting  your  reply,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient 
servant.'  Now,  I  wouldn't  trust  to  his  sense  of  any 
thing,  and  that  traditional  friendship  business  is  just 
fluffy  nonsense,  and  I  wouldn't  be  anybody's  obedient 
servant.  I  decided  when  I  wasn't  more  than  fifteen 
years  old,  with  a  lot  of  other  girls  in  our  school,  that 
when  we  got  married  we'd  never  say  obey,  and  we  never 
have,  though  only  three  of  our  class  are  married  yet,  but 
we're  all  engaged." 


MB.  ARDMORE  OFFICIALLY  RECOGNIZED   111 

"Engaged?" 

"Of  course;  we're  engaged.  I'm  engaged  to  Ruther 
ford  Gillingwater,  the  adjutant-general  of  this  state. 
You  couldn't  be  my  private  secretary  if  I  wasn't  en 
gaged  ;  it  wouldn't  be  proper." 

The  earth  was  only  a  flying  cinder  on  which  he  strove 
for  a  foothold.  She  had  announced  her  engagement  to 
be  married  with  a  cool  finality  that  took  his  breath  away ; 
and  not  realizing  the  chaos  into  which  she  had  flung 
him,  she  returned  demurely  to  the  matter  of  the  letter. 

"We  can't  change  that  letter,  because  it's  signed  close 
to  the  'obedient  servant'  and  there's  no  room.  But  I'm 
going  to  put  it  into  the  typewriter  and  add  a  postscript." 

She  sat  down  before  the  machine  and  inexpertly  rolled 
the  sheet  into  place ;  then,  with  Ardmore  helping  her  to 
find  the  keys,  she  wrote : 

I  demand  an  imediate  reply. 

"Demand  and  immediate  are  both  business  words. 
Are  you  sure  there's  only  one  m  in  immediate?  All 
right,  if  you  know.  I  reckon  a  postscript  like  that  doesn't 
need  to  be  signed.  I'll  just  put  *W.  D.'  there  with  papa's 
stub  pen,  so  it  will  look  really  fierce.  Now,  you're  the 
secretary;  you  copy  it  in  the  copying  press  and  I'll  ad 
dress  the  envelope." 


112  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

"Don't  you  have  to  put  the  state  seal  on  it?"  asked 
Ardmore. 

"Of  course  not.  You  have  to  get  that  from  the  secre 
tary  of  state,  and  I  don't  like  him;  he  has  such  funny 
whiskers,  and  calls  me  little  girl.  Besides,  you  never 
put  the  seal  on  a  letter;  it's  only  necessary  for  official 
documents." 

She  bade  him  give  the  letter  plenty  of  time  to  copy, 
and  talked  cheerfully  while  he  waited.  She  spoke  of 
her  friends,  as  Southern  people  have  a  way  of  doing,  as 
though  every  one  must  of  course  know  them — a  habit 
that  is  illuminative  of  that  delightful  Southern  neigh- 
borliness  that  knits  the  elect  of  a  commonwealth  into  a 
single  family,  that  neither  time  and  tide  nor  sword  and 
brand  can  destroy.  Ardmore's  humility  increased  as  the 
names  of  the  great  and  good  of  North  Carolina  fell  from 
her  lips ;  for  they  were  as  strange  to  him  as  an  Abysin- 
nian  dynasty.  It  was  perfectly  clear  that  he  was  not 
of  her  world,  and  that  his  own  was  insignificant  and  un 
distinguished  compared  with  hers.  His  spirit  was  stayed 
somewhat  by  the  knowledge  that  he,  and  not  the  execra 
ble  Gillingwater,  had  been  chosen  as  her  coadjutor  in 
the  present  crisis.  His  very  ignorance  of  the  royal  fam- 


MR.  ABDMOEE  OFFICIALLY  RECOGNIZED   113 

ilies  of  North  Carolina,  which  she  recited  so  glibly,  and 
the  fact  that  he  was  unknown  at  the  capital,  had  won 
him  official  recognition,  and  it  was  for  him  now  to  prove 
his  worth.  The  political  plot  into  which  he  had  been 
most  willingly  drawn  pleased  him  greatly;  it  was  su 
perior  to  his  fondest  dream  of  adventure,  and  now, 
moreover,  he  had  what  he  never  had  before,  a  definite 
purpose  in  life,  which  was  to  be  equal  to  the  task  to 
which  this  intrepid  girl  assigned  him. 

"Well,  that's  done,"  said  Miss  Jerry,  when  the  letter, 
still  damp  from  the  copy-press,  had  been  carefully 
sealed  and  stamped.  "Governor  Osborne  will  get  it  in 
the  morning.  I  think  maybe  we'd  better  telegraph  him 
that  it's  coming." 

"I  don't  see  much  use  in  that,  when  he'll  get  the  letter 
first  thing  to-morrow,"  Ardmore  suggested.  "It  costs 
money  to  telegraph  and  you  must  have  an  economical 
administration." 

"The  good  of  it  would  be  to  keep  him  worried  and 
make  him  very  angry.  And  if  he  told  Barbara  Osborne 
about  it,  it  would  make  her  angry,  too,  and  maybe  she 
wouldn't  sleep  any  all  night,  the  haughty  thing!  Hand 
me  one  of  those  telegraph  blanks." 


114  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

The  message,  slowly  thumped  out  on  the  typewriter, 
and  several  times  altered  and  copied,  finally  read : 

RALEIGH,  N.  C. 
The  Honorable  Charles  Osborne, 

Governor  of  South  Carolina, 

Columbia,  S.  C.: 

Have  written  by  to-night's  mail  in  Appleweight  matter. 
Your  vacillating  course  not  understood. 

WILLIAM  DANQERFIELD, 
Governor  of  North  Carolina. 

"I  reckon  that  will  make  him  take  notice ;"  and  Miss 
Jerry  viewed  her  work  with  approval.  "And  now,  Mr. 
Ardmore,  here's  a  telegram  from  Mr.  Billings  which  I 
don't  understand.  See  if  you  know  what  it  means." 

Ardmore  chuckled  delightedly  as  he  read: 

Can  not  understand  your  outrageous  conduct  in  bond  mat 
ter.  If  payment  is  not  made  June  first  your  state's  credit 
is  ruined.  Where  is  Foster?  Answer  to  Atlanta. 

GEORGE  P.  BILLINGS. 

"I  don't  see  what's  so  funny  about  that!  Mr.  Bass- 
ford  was  walking  the  floor  with  that  message  when  I 
came  to  the  office.  He  said  papa  and  the  state  were  both 
going  to  be  ruined.  There's  a  quarter  of  a  million  dol 
lars  to  be  paid  on  bonds  that  are  coming  due  June  first, 
and  there  isn't  any  money  to  pay  them  with.  That's 


MR.  ARDMORE  OFFICIALLY  RECOGNIZED   115 

what  he  said.  And  Mr.  Foster  is  the  state  treasurer,  and 
he's  gone  fishing." 

"Fishing?" 

"He  left  word  he  had  gone  fishing.  Mr.  Foster  and 
papa  don't  get  along  together,  and  Mr.  Bassford  says 
he's  run  off  just  to  let  those  bonds  default  and  bring 
disgrace  on  papa  and  the  state." 

Ardmore's  grin  broadened.  The  Appleweight  case 
was  insignificant  compared  with  this  new  business  with 
which  he  was  confronted.  He  was  vaguely  conscious 
that  bonds  have  a  way  of  coming  due,  and  that  there  is 
such  a  thing  as  credit  in  the  world,  and  that  it  is  some 
thing  that  must  not  be  trifled  with ;  but  these  considera 
tions  did  not  weigh  heavily  with  him.  For  the  first  time 
in  his  uneventful  life  vengeance  unsheathed  her  sword 
in  his  tranquil  soul.  Billings  had  always  treated  him 
with  contempt,  as  a  negligible  factor  in  the  Ardmore 
millions,  and  here  at  last  was  an  opportunity  to  balance 
accounts. 

"I  will  show  you  how  to  fix  Billings.  Just  let  me  have 
one  of  those  blanks." 

And  after  much  labor,  and  with  occasional  sugges 
tions  from  Miss  Jerry,  the  following  message  was  pres 
ently  ready  for  the  wires: 


116  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

Your  infamous  imputation  upon  my  honor  and  that  of  the 
state  shall  meet  with  the  treatment  it  deserves.  I  defy  you 
to  do  your  worst.  If  you  come  into  North  Carolina  or  bring 
legal  proceedings  for  the  collection  of  your  bonds  I  will  fill 
you  so  full  of  buckshot  that  forty  men  will  not  be  strong 
enough  to  carry  you  to  your  grave. 

"Isn't  that  perfectly  grand  !"  murmured  Jerry  admir 
ingly.  "But  I  thought  your  family  and  the  Bronx  Loan 
and  Trust  Company  were  the  same  thing.  That's  what 
Rutherford  Gillingwater  told  me  once." 

"You  are  quite  right.  Billings  works  for  us.  Before 
I  came  of  age  he  used  to  make  me  ask  his  permission 
when  I  wanted  to  buy  a  new  necktie,  and  when  I  was  in 
college  he  was  always  fussing  over  my  bills,  and  humili 
ating  me  when  he  could." 

"But  you  mustn't  make  him  so  mad  that  he  will  cause 
papa  trouble  and  bring  disgrace  on  our  administration." 

"Don't  you  worry  about  Billings.  He  is  used  to  hav 
ing  people  get  down  on  their  knees  to  him,  and  the 
change  will  do  him  good.  When  he  gets  over  his  first 
stroke  of  apoplexy  he  will  lock  himself  in  a  dark  room 
and  begin  to  think  hard  about  what  to  do.  He  usually 
does  all  the  bluffing,  and  I  don't  suppose  anybody  ever 
talked  to  him  like  this  telegram  in  all  his  life.  Where 
is  this  man  Foster  ?" 


MR.  ABDMOBE  OFFICIALLY  RECOGNIZED  117 

"Just  fishing;  that's  what  Mr.  Bassford  said,  but  he 
didn't  know  where.  Father  was  going  to  call  a  special 
session  of  the  legislature  to  investigate  him,  and  he  was 
so  angry  that  he  ran  off  so  that  papa  would  have  to  look 
after  those  bonds  himself.  Then  this  Appleweight  case 
came  up,  and  that  worried  papa  a  great  deal.  Here's 
his  call  for  the  special  session.  He  told  Mr.  Bassford  to 
hold  that,  too,  until  he  came  back  from  New  Orleans." 

Ardmore  read  Governor  Dangerfield's  summons  to  the 
legislature  with  profound  interest.  It  was  signed,  but 
the  space  for  the  date  on  which  the  law-makers  were  to 
assemble  had  been  left  blank. 

"It  looks  to  me  as  though  you  had  the  whole  state  in 
your  hands,  Miss  Dangerfield.  But  I  don't  believe  we 
ought  to  call  the  special  session  just  yet.  It  would  be 
sure  to  injure  the  state's  credit,  and  it  will  be  a  lot  more 
fun  to  catch  Foster.  I  wonder  if  he  took  all  the  state 
money  with  him." 

"Mr.  Bassford  said  he  didn't  know  and  couldn't  find 
out,  for  the  clerks  in  the  treasurer's  office  wouldn't  tell 
him  a  single  thing." 

"One  should  never  deal  with  subordinates,"  remarked 
Ardmore  sagely.  "Deal  with  the  principals — I  heard  a 
banker  say  that  once,  and  he  was  a  man  who  knew  every- 


118  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

thing.  Besides,  it  will  be  more  fun  to  attend  to  the 
bonds  ourselves." 

He  seemed  lost  in  reverie  for  several  minutes,  and  she 
asked  with  some  impatience  what  he  was  studying  about. 

"I  was  trying  to  think  of  a  word  they  use  when  the 
government  has  war  or  any  kind  of  trouble.  Ifs  some 
thing  about  a  corpse,  but  I  can't  remember  it." 

"A  corpse  ?  How  perfectly  horrid !  Can  it  be  possi 
ble,  Mr.  Ardmore,  that  you  mean  the  writ  of  habeas 
corpus  ?"  The  twinkle  in  his  eye  left  her  unable  to  de 
termine  whether  his  ignorance  was  real,  or  assumed  for 
his  own  amusement. 

"That's  it,"  beamed  Ardmore.  "We've  got  to  suspend 
it  if  worst  comes  to  worst.  Then  you  can  put  anybody 
you  like  into  a  dungeon,  and  nobody  can  get  him  out — 
not  for  a  million  years." 

"I  wonder  where  they  keep  it  ?"  asked  Jerry.  "It  must 
be  here  somewhere.  Perhaps  it's  in  the  safe." 

"I  don't  think  it's  a  thing,  like  a  lemon,  or  a  photo 
graph,  or  a  bottle  of  ink ;  it's  a  document,  like  a  Thanks 
giving  proclamation,  and  you  order  out  the  militia,  and 
the  soldiers  have  to  leave  their  work  and  assemble  at 
their  armories,  and  it's  all  very  serious,  and  somebody  is 
likely  to  get  shot." 


MR.  ARDMORE  OFFICIALLY  RECOGNIZED   119 

"I  don't  think  it  would  be  nice  to  shoot  people,"  said 
Jerry.  "That  would  do  the  administration  a  terrible  lot 
of  harm." 

"Of  course  we  won't  resort  to  extreme  measures  unless 
we  are  forced  to  it.  And  then,  after  we  have  exhausted 
all  the  means  at  our  command,  we  can  call  on  the  presi 
dent  to  send  United  States  troops." 

He  was  proud  of  his  knowledge,  which  had  lingered 
in  his  sub-consciousness  from  a  review  of  the  military 
power  of  the  states  which  he  had  heard  once  from  Gris- 
wold,  who  knew  about  such  matters ;  but  he  was  brought 
to  earth  promptly  enough. 

"Mr.  Ardmore,  how  dare  you  suggest  that  we  call 
United  States  troops  into  North  Carolina !  Don't  you 
know  that  would  be  an  insult  to  every  loyal  son  of  this 
state?  I  should  have  you  know  that  the  state  of  North 
Carolina  is  big  enough  to  take  care  of  herself,  and  if 
any  president  of  the  United  States  sends  any  troops 
down  here  while  I'm  running  this  office,  he'll  find  that, 
while  our  people  will  gladly  die,  they  never  surrender." 

"Oh,  I  didn't  mean  anything  like  that  by  what  I  said," 
pleaded  Ardmore,  frightened  almost  to  tears.  "Of 
course,  we've  got  our  own  troops,  and  we'll  get  through 
all  our  business  without  calling  for  help.  I  shouldn't 


120  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

any  more  call  on  the  president  than  Fd  call  on  the  czar 
of  Russia." 

She  seemed  satisfied  with  this  disclaimer,  and  pro 
duced  a  diary  in  which  Governor  Dangerfield  had  noted 
his  appointments  far  into  the  future. 

"We'll  have  to  break  a  lot  of  engagements  for  papa. 
Here's  a  speech  he  promised  to  make  at  Wilmington  at 
the  laying  of  the  corner-stone  of  the  new  orphan  asylum. 
That's  to-morrow,  and  papa  can't  be  there,  so  we'll  send 
a  telegram  of  congratulation  to  be  read  instead.  Then 
he  was  to  preside  at  a  convention  of  the  Old  Fiddlers' 
Association  at  Goldsboro  the  next  day,  and  he  can't  do 
that.  I  guess  we'd  better  telegraph  and  say  how  sorry 
he  is  to  be  delayed  by  important  official  business.  And 
here's — why,  I  had  forgotten  about  the  National  Guard 
encampment,  that's  beginning  now." 

"Do  you  mean  the  state  militia?"  Ardmore  in 
quired. 

"Why,  of  course.  They're  having  their  annual  en 
campment  over  in  Azbell  County  at  Camp  Dangerfield 
— they  always  name  the  camp  for  the  governor — and 
father  was  to  visit  the  camp  next  Saturday  for  his  an 
nual  inspection.  That's  near  your  county,  where  your 
farm  is;  didn't  you  know  that?" 


MR.  ABDMOBE  OFFICIALLY  RECOGNIZED   121 

Ardmore  was  humble,  as  he  always  was  when  his 
ignorance  was  exposed,  but  his  face  brightened  joyfully. 

"You  mustn't  break  that  engagement.  Those  troops 
ought  to  be  inspected.  Inspecting  his  troops  is  one  of 
the  most  important  things  a  governor  has  to  do.  It's 
just  like  a  king  or  an  emperor.  I've  seen  Emperor 
William  and  King  Humbert  inspect  their  soldiers,  and 
they  go  galloping  by  like  mad,  with  all  the  soldiers 
saluting,  and  it's  perfectly  bully.  And  then  there  have 
to  be  maneuvers,  to  see  whether  the  troops  know  how  to 
fight  or  not,  and  forced  marches  and  sham  battles/' 

"Papa  always  speaks  to  the  men,"  suggested  Jerry,  a 
little  abashed  by  the  breadth  and  splendor  of  Ardmore's 
knowledge.  His  comparison  of  the  North  Carolina 
militia  with  the  armies  of  Europe  pleased  her. 

"I  think  the  ladies  of  the  royal  family  inspect  the 
troops,  too,  sometimes,"  he  continued.  "The  queens  are 
always  honorary  colonels  of  regiments,  and  present  them 
with  flags,  which  is  a  graceful  thing  to  do." 

"Colonel  Gillingwater  never  told  me  that,  and  he's  the 
adjutant-general  of  the  state  and  ought  to  know." 

"What's  he  colonel  of  ?"  asked  Ardmore  gloomily. 

"He  was  colonel  in  the  Spanish  War,  or  was  going  to 
be,  but  he  got  typhoid  fever,  and  so  he  couldn't  go  to 


122  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

Cuba,  and  papa  appointed  him  adjutant-general  as  a 
reward  for  his  services ;  but  everybody  calls  him  Colonel 
just  the  same." 

"It  looks  like  a  pretty  easy  way  of  getting  a  title," 
murmured  Ardmore.  "I  had  typhoid  fever  once,  and 
nearly  died,  and  all  my  hair  came  out." 

<fYou  oughtn't  to  speak  that  way  of  my  fiance.  It's 
quite  impertinent  in  a  mere  private  secretary  to  talk 
so." 

"I  beg  your  pardon.  I  forgot  that  you  were  engaged. 
You'll  have  to  go  to  Camp  Dangerfield  and  inspect  the 
troops  yourself,  and  they  would  a  lot  rather  have  you 
inspect  them  than  have  your  father  do  it." 

"You  mustn't  say  things  like  that!  I  thought  I  told 
you  your  appointment  carried  no  social  recognition.  You 
mustn't  talk  to  me  as  though  I  was  a  girl  you  really 
know — " 

"But  there's  no  use  of  making-believe  such  things 
when  I  do  know  you !" 

"Not  the  least  little  tiny  bit,  you  don't !  Do  you  sup 
pose,  if  you  were  a  gentleman  I  knew  and  had  been  in 
troduced  to,  I  would  be  talking  to  you  here  in  papa's 
office?" 

"But  I  pretend  to  be  a  gentleman;  you  certainly 


MR.  ARDMORE  OFFICIALLY  RECOGNIZED 

wouldn't  be  talking  to  me  if  you  thought  me  anything 
else/' 

"I  can't  even  discuss  the  matter,  Mr.  Ardmore.  A 
gentleman  wouldn't  lie  to  a  lady." 

"But  if  you  know  Fm  a  liar  why  are  you  telling  me 
these  secrets  and  asking  me  to  help  you  play  being 
governor?"  and  Ardmore,  floundering  hopelessly,  mar 
veled  at  her  more  and  more. 

"That's  exactly  the  reason — because  you  came  poking 
up  to  my  house  and  told  me  that  scandalous  fib  about 
meeting  papa  in  New  Orleans.  Mr.  Bassford  is  a  beau 
tiful  liar ;  that's  why  he's  papa's  secretary ;  but  you  axe 
a  much  more  imaginative  sort  of  liar  than  Mr.  Bassford. 
He  can  only  lie  to  callers  about  papa  being  engaged,  or 
write  encouraging  letters  to  people  who  want  appoint 
ments  which  papa  never  expects  to  mate;  but  you  lie 
because  you  can't  help  it.  Now,  if  you're  satisfied,  you 
can  take  those  telegrams  down  to  the  telegraph  office, 
and  you'd  better  mail  that  letter  to  Governor  Osborne 
yourself,  for  fear  the  man  who's  running  the  lawn-mower 
will  forget  to  come  for  it." 

The  roll  of  drums  and  the  cry  of  a  bugle  broke  in 
upon  the  peace  of  the  late  afternoon.  Miss  Jerry  rose 
with  an  exclamation  and  ran  out  into  the  broad  portico 


124  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

of  the  state  house.  Several  battalions  of  a  tide-water 
regiment,  passing  through  town  on  their  way  to  Camp 
Dangerfield,  had  taken  advantage  of  a  wait  in  Raleigh 
to  disembark  and  show  themselves  at  the  capital.  They 
were  already  halted  and  at  parade  rest  at  the  side  of  the 
street,  and  a  mounted  officer  in  khaki,  galloping  madly 
into  view,  seemed  to  focus  the  eyes  of  the  gathering 
crowd.  He  was  a  gallant  figure  of  a  man;  his  mount 
was  an  animal  that  realized  Job's  ideal  of  a  battle-horse ; 
the  soldiers  presented  arms  as  the  horseman  rode  the 
line.  Miss  Dangerfield  waved  her  handkerchief,  stand 
ing  eagerly  on  tiptoe  to  make  her  salutation  carry  as  far 
as  possible. 

"Who  is  that  ?"  asked  Ardmore,  with  sinking  spirit. 

"Why,  Rutherford  Gillingwater,  of  course." 

"Fours  right!"  rang  the  command  a  moment  later, 
and  the  militiamen  tramped  off  to  the  station. 

It  was  then  that  Ardmore,  watching  the  crowd  dis 
perse  at  the  edge  of  the  park,  saw  his  caller  of  the 
morning  striding  rapidly  across  the  street.  Ardmore 
started  forward,  then  checked  himself  so  suddenly  that 
Miss  Jerry  Dangerfield  turned  to  him  inquiringly. 

"What's  the  matter?"  she  demanded. 

"Nothing.    I  have  been   robbed,  as  I  hoped  to  be. 


ME.  AKDMORE  OFFICIALLY  RECOGNIZED   125 

Over  there  on  the  sidewalk,  beyond  the  girl  in  the  pink 
sunbonnet,  goes  my  little  brown  jug.  That  lank  indi 
vidual  with  the  shabby  hat  has  lifted  it  out  of  my  room 
at  the  hotel,  just  as  I  thought  he  would/' 


CHAPTER   VI 

MR.   GRISWOLD  FORSAKES   THE   ACADEMIC   LIFE 

Miss  Osborne  had  asked  Griswold  to  await  the  out 
come  of  the  day,  and,  finding  himself  thus  possessed  of 
a  vacation,  he  indulged  his  antiquarian  instincts  by  ex 
ploring  Columbia.  The  late  afternoon  found  him  in  the 
lovely  cathedral  churchyard,  where  an  aged  negro,  tend 
ing  the  graves  of  an  illustrious  family,  leaned  upon  his 
spade  and  recited  the  achievements  and  virtues  of  the 
dead.  Men  who  had  been  law-makers,  others  who  had 
led  valiantly  to  battle,  and  ministers  of  the  Prince  of 
Peace,  mingled  their  dust  together ;  and  across  the  crisp 
hedges  a  robin  sang  above  Timrod's  grave. 

As  the  shadows  lengthened,  Griswold  walked  back  to 
the  hotel,  where  he  ate  supper,  then,  calling  for  a  horse, 
he  rode  through  the  streets  in  a  mood  of  more  complete 
alienation  than  he  had  ever  experienced  in  a  foreign 
country ;  yet  the  very  scents  of  the  summer  night,  steal 
ing  out  from  old  gardens,  the  voices  that  reached  him 
from  open  doorways,  spoke  of  home. 

126 


THE    ACADEMIC    LIFE    FORSAKEN     127 

As  he  reached  the  outskirts  of  town  and  rode  on 
toward  the  governor's  mansion,  his  mood  changed,  and 
he  laughed  softly,  for  he  remembered  Ardmore,  and 
Ardmore  was  beyond  question  the  most  amusing  person 
he  knew.  It  was  unfortunate,  he  generously  reflected, 
that  Ardmore,  rather  than  himself,  had  not  been  plunged 
into  this  present  undertaking,  which  was  much  more  in 
Ardmore's  line  than  his  own.  There  would,  however,  be 
a  great  satisfaction  in  telling  Ardmore  of  his  unexpected 
visit  to  Columbia,  in  exchange  for  his  friend's  report  of 
his  pursuit  of  the  winking  eye.  He  only  regretted  that  in 
the  nature  of  things  Columbia  is  a  modern  city,  a  seat 
of  commerce  as  well  as  of  government,  a  place  where 
bank  clearings  are  seriously  computed,  and  where  the 
jaunty  adventurer  with  sword  and  ruffles  is  quite  likely 
to  run  afoul  of  the  police.  Yet  his  own  imagination 
was  far  more  fertile  than  Ardmore's,  and  he  would  have 
hailed  a  troop  of  mail-clad  men  as  joyfully  as  his  friend 
had  he  met  them  clanking  in  the  highway.  Thus, 
modern  as  we  think  ourselves,  the  least  venturesome 
among  us  dreams  that  some  day  some  turn  of  a  street 
corner  will  bring  him  face  to  face  with  what  we  please  to 
call  our  fate;  and  this  is  the  manifestation  of  our  last 
drop  of  medieval  blood.  The  grimmest  seeker  after 


128  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDAEE 

reality  looks  out  of  the  corner  of  his  eye  for  the  flutter 
of  a  white  handkerchief  from  the  ivied  tower  he  affects 
to  ignore;  and,  in  spite  of  himself,  he  is  buoyed  by  the 
hope  that  some  day  a  horn  will  sound  for  him  over  the 
nearest  hill. 

Miss  Osborne  met  him  at  the  veranda  steps.  Indoors 
a  mandolin  and  piano  struck  up  the  merry  chords  of  The 
Eutaw  Girl. 

"My  young  sisters  have  company.  We'll  sit  here, 
if  you  don't  mind." 

She  led  the  way  to  a  quiet  corner,  and  after  they  were 
seated  she  was  silent  a  moment,  while  the  light  from 
the  windows  showed  clearly  that  her  perplexity  of  the 
morning  was  not  yet  at  an  end.  The  music  tinkled 
softly,  and  a  breeze  swept  in  upon  them  with  faint 
odors  of  the  garden. 

"I  hope  you  won't  mind,  Mr.  Griswold,  if  I  appear  to 
be  ashamed  of  you.  It's  not  a  bit  hospitable  to  keep  you 
outside  our  threshold;  but — you  understand — I  don't 
have  to  tell  you !" 

"I  understand  perfectly,  Miss  Osborne!" 

"It  seems  best  not  to  let  the  others  know  just  why  you 
are  here.  I  told  my  sisters  that  you  were  an  old  friend 
—of  father's — who  wished  to  leave  a  message  for  him." 


THE   ACADEMIC   LIFE   FORSAKEN     129 

"That  will  do  first  rate  I"  he  laughed.  "My  status  is 
fixed.  I  know  your  father,  but  as  for  ourselves,  we  are 
not  acquainted." 

He  felt  that  she  was  seriously  anxious  and  troubled, 
and  he  wished  to  hearten  her  if  he  could.  The  soft  dusk 
of  the  faintly-lighted  corner  folded  her  in.  Behind  her 
the  vines  of  the  veranda  moved  slightly  in  the  breeze. 
A  thin,  wayward  shaft  of  light  touched  her  hair,  as 
though  searching  out  the  gold.  When  we  say  that  people 
have  atmosphere,  we  really  mean  that  they  possess  in 
definite  qualities  that  awaken  new  moods  in  us,  as  by 
that  magic  through  which  an  ignorant  hand  thrumming 
a  harp's  strings  may  evoke  some  harmony  denied  to  con 
scious  skill.  He  heard  whispered  in  his  heart  a  man's 
first  word  of  the  woman  he  is  destined  to  love,  in  which 
he  sets  her  apart ;  above  and  beyond  all  other  womenkind 
— she  is  different ;  she  is  not  like  other  women ! 

"It  is  nearly  nine/'  she  said,  her  voice  thrilling 
through  him.  "My  father  should  have  been  here  an  hour 
ago.  We  have  heard  nothing  from  him.  The  news 
papers  have  telephoned  repeatedly  to  know  his  where 
abouts.  I  have  put  them  off  by  intimating  that  he  is 
away  on  important  public  business,  and  that  his  purpose 
might  be  defeated  if  his  exact  whereabouts  were  known. 


130  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARfi 

I  tried  to  intimate,  without  saying  as  much,  that  he  was 
busy  with  the  Applcweight  case.  One  of  the  papers  that 
has  very  bitterly  antagonized  father  ever  since  his  elec 
tion  has  threatened  to  expose  what  the  editor  calls 
father's  relations  with  Apple  weight.  I  can  not  believe 
that  there  is  anything  wrong  about  that ;  of  course  there 
is  not !" 

She  was  controlling  herself  with  an  effort,  and  she 
broke  off  her  declaration  of  confidence  in  her  absent 
father  sharply  but  with  a  sob  in  her  voice. 

"I  have  no  doubt  in  the  world  that  the  explanation 
you  gave  the  newspapers  is  the  truth  of  the  matter. 
Your  father  must  be  absent  a  great  deal — it  is  part  of 
a  governor's  business  to  keep  in  motion.  But  we  may  as 
well  face  the  fact  that  his  absence  just  now  is  most  em 
barrassing.  This  Appleweight  matter  has  reached  a 
crisis,  and  a  failure  to  handle  it  properly  may  injure 
your  father's  future  as  a  public  man.  If  you  will  pardon 
me,  I  would  suggest  that  there  must  be  some  one  whom 
you  can  take  into  your  confidence — some  friend,  some 
one  in  your  father's  administration  that  you  can  rely 
on?" 

"Yes ;  father  has  many  friends ;  but  I  can  not  consider 
acknowledging  to  any  one  that  father  has  disappeared 


THE   ACADEMIC  LIFE    FORSAKEN      131 

when  such  a  matter  as  this  Appleweight  case  is  an  issue 
through  the  state.  No ;  I  have  thought  of  every  one  this 
afternoon.  It  would  be  a  painful  thing  for  his  best 
friends  to  know  what  is — what  seems  to  be  the  truth." 
Her  voice  wavered  a  little,  but  she  was  brave,  and  he 
was  aware  that  she  straightened  herself  in  her  chair,  and, 
when  wayward  gleams  of  light  fell  upon  her  face,  that 
her  lips  were  set  resolutely. 

"You  saw  the  attorney-general  this  morning,"  she 
went  on.  "As  you  suggested,  he  would  naturally  be  the 
one  to  whom  I  should  turn,  but  I  can  not  do  it.  I — there 
is  a  reason" — and  she  faltered  a  moment — "there  are 
reasons  why  I  can  not  appeal  to  Mr.  Bosworth  at  this 
time." 

She  shrugged  her  shoulders  as  though  throwing  off  a 
disagreeable  topic,  and  he  saw  that  there  was  nothing 
more  to  be  said  on  this  point.  His  heart-beats  quickened 
as  he  realized  that  she  was  appealing  to  him;  that, 
though  he  was  only  the  most  casual  acquaintance,  she 
trusted  him.  It  was  a  dictum  of  his,  learned  in  his  study 
and  practise  of  the  law,  that  issues  must  be  met  as  they 
offer — not  as  the  practitioner  would  prefer  to  have  them, 
but  as  they  occur;  and  here  was  a  condition  of  affairs 
that  must  be  met  promptly  if  the  unaccountable  absence 


132  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

of  the  governor  was  to  be  robbed  of  its  embarrassing  sig 
nificance. 

As  he  pondered  for  a  moment,  a  messenger  rode  into 
the  grounds,  and  Miss  Osborne  slipped  away  and  met 
the  boy  at  the  steps.  She  came  back  and  opened  a  tele 
gram,  reading  the  message  at  one  of  the  windows.  An 
indignant  exclamation  escaped  her,  and  she  crumpled 
the  paper  in  her  hand. 

"The  impudence  of  it  !"  she  exclaimed.  He  had  risen, 
and  she  now  turned  to  him  with  anger  and  scorn  deep 
ening  her  beautiful  color.  Her  breath  came  quickly; 
her  head  was  lifted  imperiously;  her  lips  quivered 
slightly  as  she  spoke. 

"This  is  from  Governor  Dangerfield.  Can  you  imag 
ine  a  man  of  any  character  or  decency  sending  such  a 
message  to  the  governor  of  another  state  ?" 

She  watched  him  as  he  read  : 

RALEIGH,  N.  C. 
The  Honorable  Charles  Osborne, 

Governor  of  South  Carolina, 

Columbia,  S.  C.: 

Have  written  by  to-night's  mail  in  Appleweight  matter. 
Your  vacillating  course  not  understood. 

WILLIAM  DANGERFIELD, 
Governor  of  North  Carolina. 


do  you  think  of  that?'?  she  demanded. 


THE   ACADEMIC   LIFE   FORSAKEN     133 

"I  think  it's  impertinent,  to  say  the  least,"  he  replied 
guardedly. 

"Impertinent?  It's  the  most  contemptible,  outrag 
eous  thing  I  ever  heard  of  in  my  life !  Governor  Dan- 
gerfield  has  dilly-dallied  with  that  case  for  two  years. 
His  administration  has  been  marked  from  the  beginning 
by  the  worst  kind  of  incompetence.  Why,  this  man 
Appleweight  and  his  gang  of  outlaws  only  come  into 
South  Carolina  now  and  then  to  hide  and  steal,  but  they 
commit  most  of  their  crimes  in  North  Carolina,  and 
they  always  have.  Talk  about  a  vacillating  course! 
Father  has  never  taken  steps  to  arrest  those  men  out  of 
sheer  regard  for  Governor  Dangerfield;  he  thought 
North  Carolina  had  some  pride,  and  that  her  governor 
would  prefer  to  take  care  of  his  own  criminals.  What 
do  you  suppose  Appleweight  is  indicted  for  in  this  state? 
For  stealing  one  ham — one  single  ham  from  a  farmer  in 
Mingo  County,  and  he's  killed  half  a  dozen  men  in 
North  Carolina." 

She  paced  the  corner  of  the  veranda  angrily,  while 
Griswold  groped  for  a  solution  of  the  problem.  The 
telegram  from  Raleigh  was  certainly  lacking  in  diplo^ 
matic  suavity.  It  was  patent  that  if  the  governor  of 
North  Carolina  was  not  tremendously  aroused,  he  was 


134  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

playing  a  great  game  of  bluff;  and  on  either  hypothes 
a  prompt  response  must  be  made  to  his  telegram. 

"I  must  answer  this  at  once.  He  must  not  think  v 
are  so  stupid  in  Columbia  that  we  don't  know  whe 
we're  insulted.  We  can  go  through  the  side  door  1 
father's  study  and  write  the  message  there,"  and  she  Ic 
the  way. 

"It  might  be  best  to  wait  and  see  what  his  letter 
like/'  suggested  Griswold,  with  a  vague  wish  to  prolon 
this  discussion,  that  he  might  enjoy  the  soft  glow  of  tl 
student  lamp  on  her  cheek. 

"I  don't  care  what  his  letter  says;  it  can't  be  won 
than  his  telegram.  We'll  answer  them  both  at  once." 

She  found  a  blank  and  wrote  rapidly,  without  askin 
suggestions,  with  this  result : 

The  Honorable  William  Dangerfield, 

Raleigh,  N.  C.: 

Your  extremely  diverting  telegram  in  Appleweight  cai 
received  and  filed.  CHARLES  OSBORNE, 

Governor  of  South  Carolina. 

She  met  Griswold's  obvious  disappointment  wit 
prompt  explanation. 

"You  see,  the  governor  of  South  Carolina  can  n< 
stoop  to  an  exchange  of  billingsgate  with  an  underbre 
person  like  that — a  big,  solemn,  conceited  creature  in 


THE    ACADEMIC    LIFE    FORSAKEN     135 

long  frock-coat  and  a  shoestring  necktie,  who  boasts  of 
belonging  to  the  common  fpeo-pull/  He  doesn't  have  to 
tell  anybody  that,  when  it's  plain  as  daylight.  The  way 
to  answer  him  is  not  to  answer  at  all." 

"The  way  to  answer  him  is  to  make  Xorth  Carolina 
put  Appleweight  in  jail,  for  crimes  committed  in  that 
state,  and  then,  if  need  be,  we  can  satisfy  the  cry  for 
vengeance  in  South  Carolina  by  flashing  our  requisition. 
There  is  a  rule  in  such  cases  that  the  state  having  the 
heaviest  indictments  shall  have  precedence ;  and  you  say 
that  in  this  state  it's  only  a  matter  of  a  ham.  I  am  not 
acquainted  with  the  South  Carolina  ham,"  he  went  on, 
smiling,  ffbut  in  Virginia  the  right  kind  of  a  ham  is 
sacred  property,  and  to  steal  one  is  a  capital  offense." 

"I  should  like  to  steal  one  such  as  I  had  last  winter  in 
Richmond,"  and  Miss  Osborne  forgot  her  anger;  her 
eyes  narrowed  dreamily  at  an  agreeable  memory. 

"Was  it  at  Judge  Randolph  Wilson's?"  asked  Gris- 
wold  instantly. 

"Why,  yes,  it  was  at  Judge  Wilson's,  Mr.  Griswold. 
How  did  you  know?" 

"I  didn't  know ;  I  guessed ;  for  I  have  sat  at  that  table 
myself.  The  judge  says  grace  twice  when  there's  to  be 
ham — once  before  soup,  then  again  before  ham." 


136  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDABE 

"Then  thanksgiving  after  the  ham  would  be  perfectly 
proper !" 

Miss  Osborne  was  studying  Griswold  carefully,  then 
she  laughed,  and  her  attitude  toward  him,  that  had  been 
tempered  by  a  certain  official  reserve,  became  at  once 
cordial. 

"Are  you  the  Professor  Griswold  who  is  so  crazy 
about  pirates  ?  I've  heard  the  Wilsons  speak  of  you,  but 
you  don't  look  like  that." 

"Don't  I  look  like  a  pirate  ?  Thank  you !  I  had  an  ap 
pointment  at  Judge  Wilson's  office  this  morning  to  talk 
over  a  case  in  which  I'm  interested." 

"I  remember  now  what  he  said  about  you.  He  said 
you  really  were  a  fine  lawyer,  but  that  you  liked  to  read 
about  pirates." 

"That  may  have  been  what  he  said  to  you ;  but  he  has 
told  me  that  the  association  of  piracy  and  law  was  most 
unfortunate,  as  it  would  suggest  unpleasant  comments 
to  those  who  don't  admire  the  legal  profession." 

"And  you  are  one  of  those  tide-water  Griswolds,  then, 
if  you  know  the  Randolph  Wilsons.  They  are  very  strong 
for  the  tide-water  families;  to  hear  them  talk  you'd 
think  the  people  back  in  the  Virginia  hills  weren't  really 
respectable." 


THE   ACADEMIC   LIFE   FORSAKEN     137 

"It's  undeniably  the  right  view  of  the  matter,"  laughed 
Griswold,  "but  now  that  I  live  in  Charlottesville  I  don't 
insist  on  it.  It  wouldn't  be  decent  in  me.  And  I  have 
lots  of  cousins  in  Lexington  and  through  the  Valley. 
The  broad  view  is  that  every  inch  of  the  Old  Dominion 
is  holy  ground." 

"It  is  an  interesting  commonwealth,  Mr.  Griswold; 
but  I  do  not  consider  it  holy  ground.  South  Carolina  has 
a  monopoly  of  that;"  and  then  the  smile  left  her  face 
and  she  returned  to  the  telegram.  "Our  immediate  busi 
ness,  however,  is  not  with  Virginia,  or  with  South  Caro 
lina,  but  with  the  miserable  commonwealth  that  lies 
between." 

"And  that  commonwealth,"  said  Griswold,  wishing  to 
prolong  the  respite  from  official  cares,  "that  state  known, 
in  law  and  history  as  North  Carolina,  I  have  heard 
called,  by  a  delightful  North  Carolina  lady  I  met  once 
at  Charlottesville,  a  valley  of  humility  between  two 
mountains  of  conceit.  That  seems  to  hit  both  of  us !" 

"North  Carolina  isn't  a  state  at  all,"  Miss  Osborne  de 
clared  spitefully;  "it's  only  a  strip  of  land  where  un 
interesting  people  live.  And  now,  what  do  you  say  to 
this  telegram  ?" 

"Excellent.   It's  bound  to  irritate,  and  it  leaves  him 


138  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDAEE 

in  the  dark  as  to  our — I  mean  Governor  Osborne's — in 
tentions.  And  those  intentions — " 

During  this  by-play  he  had  reached  a  decision  as  to 
what  should  be  done,  and  he  was  prepared  to  answer 
when  she  asked,  with  an  employment  of  the  pronoun 
that  pleasantly  emphasized  their  relationship : 

"What  are  our  intentions  ?" 

"We  are  going  to  catch  Appleweight,  that's  the  first 
thing — and  until  we  get  him  we're  going  to  keep  our 
own  counsel.  Let  me  have  a  telegraph  blank  and  I  will 
try  my  hand  at  being  governor/'  He  sat  down  in  the 
governor's  chair,  asked  the  name  of  the  county  seat  of 
Mingo  and  wrote  without  erasure  or  hesitation  this  mes 
sage: 

To  the  Sheriff  of  Mingo  County, 

Turner  Court  House,  S.  C.: 

Make  every  possible  effort  to  capture  Appleweight  and  any 
of  his  gang  who  are  abroad  in  your  county.  Swear  in  all 
the  deputies  you  need,  and  if  friendliness  of  citizens  to 
outlaws  makes  this  impossible  wire  me  immediately,  and  I 
will  send  militia.  Any  delay  on  your  part  will  be  visited 
with  severest  penalties.  Answer  immediately  by  telegraph. 

CHARLES  OSBORNE, 
Governor  of  South  Carolina. 

"That's  quite  within  the  law,"  said  Griswold,  hand- 


THE    ACADEMIC   LIFE    FORSAKEN     139 

ing  Barbara  the  message ;  "and  we  might  as  well  put  the 
thing  through  at  a  gallop.  Fll  get  the  telegraph  com 
pany  to  hold  open  the  line  to  Turner  Court  House  until 
the  sheriff  answers." 

As  Barbara  read  the  message  he  saw  her  pleasure  in 
the  quick  compression  of  her  lips,  the  glow  in  her  cheeks, 
and  then  the  bright  glint  of  her  bronze-brown  eyes  as 
she  finished. 

"That's  exactly  right.  I  didn't  know  just  how  to 
manage  such  a  thing,  but  I  see  that  that  is  the  proper 
method." 

"Yes;  the  sheriff  must  have  his  full  opportunity  to 
act." 

"And  what  then,  if  the  sheriff  refuses  to  do  any 
thing?" 

"Then — then" — and  Griswold's  jaw  set  firmly,  and 
he  straightened  himself  slightly  before  he  added  in  a 
quiet  tone — "then  I'm  going  down  there  to  take  charge 
of  the  thing  myself." 

"Oh,  that  is  too  much !  I  didn't  ask  that;  and  I  must 
refuse  to  let  you  take  any  such  responsibility  on  your 
self,  to  say  nothing  of  the  personal  danger.  I  merely 
wanted  your  advice — as  a  lawyer,  for  the  reason  that  I 


140  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

dared  not  risk  father's  name  even  among  his  best  friends 
here.  And  your  coming  to  the  office  this  morning  seemed 
so — so  providential — " 

He  sought  at  once  to  minimize  the  value  of  his  serv 
ices,  for  he  was  not  a  man  to  place  a  woman  under  ob 
ligations,  and,  moreover,  an  opportunity  like  this,  to 
uphold  the  dignity,  and  perhaps  to  exercise  the  power 
of  a  state,  laid  strong  hold  upon  him.  He  knew  little 
enough  about  the  Appleweight  case,  but  he  felt  from  his 
slight  knowledge  that  he  was  well  within  his  rights  in 
putting  spurs  to  the  sheriff  of  Mingo  County.  If  the 
sheriff  failed  to  respond  in  proper  spirit  and  it  became 
necessary  to  use  the  militia,  he  was  conscious  that 
serious  complications  might  arise.  He  had  not  only  a 
respect  for  law,  but  an  ideal  of  civic  courage  and  in 
tegrity,  and  the  governor's  inexplicable  absence  aroused 
his  honest  wrath.  The  idea  that  a  mere  girl  should  be 
forced  to  sustain  the  official  honor  and  dignity  of  a 
cowardly  father  further  angered  him.  And  then  he 
looked  into  her  eyes  and  saw  how  grave  they  were,  and 
how  earnest  and  with  what  courage  she  met  the  situa 
tion;  and  the  charm  of  her  slender  figure,  that  glint  of 
gold  in  her  hair,  her  slim,  supple  hands  folded  on  the 


THE    ACADEMIC    LIFE    FORSAKEN     141 

table — these  things  wrought  in  him  a  happiness  that  he 
had  never  known  before,  so  that  he  laughed  as  he  took 
the  telegram  from  her. 

"There  must  be  no  mistake,  no  failure,"  she  said 
quietly. 

"We  are  not  going  to  fail ;  we  are  going  to  carry  this 
through !  Within  three  days  we'll  have  Appleweight  in 
a  North  Carolina  jail  or  a  flying  fugitive  in  Governor 
Dangerfield's  territory.  And  now  these  telegrams  must 
be  sent.  It  might  be  better  for  you  to  go  to  the  tele 
graph  office  with  me.  You  must  remember  that  I  am  a 
pilgrim  and  a  stranger  and  they  might  question  my  filing 
official  messages." 

"That  is  perfectly  true.  I  will  go  into  town  with  you/' 

"And  if  there's  an  official  coach  that  everybody  knows 
as  yours,  it  would  allay  suspicions  to  have  it"  and 
while  he  was  still  speaking  she  vanished  to  order  the 
carriage. 

In  five  minutes  it  was  at  the  side  door,  and  Griswold 
and  Barbara,  fortified  by  the  presence  of  Phoebe,  left 
the  governor's  study. 

"If  they  don't  know  me,  everybody  in  South  Carolina 
knows  Phoebe,"  said  Barbara. 


142  THE  LITTLE  BROWX  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

"A  capital  idea.  I  can  see  by  her  eye  that  she's  built 
for  conspiracy/' 

Griswold's  horse  was  to  be  returned  to  town  by  a  boy ; 
and  when  this  had  been  arranged  the  three  entered  the 
carriage. 

"The  telegraph  office,  Tom ;  and  hurry." 


CHAPTER  VII 

AN  AFFAIR  AT   THE   STATE   HOUSE 

Barbara  filed  the  messages  herself  with  the  manager 
of  the  telegraph  company,  who  lifted  the  green  shade 
from  his  eyes  and  smiled  upon  her. 

"We'll  rush  them,  Miss  Osborne.  Shall  I  telephone 
the  answers  if  they  come  to-night?  No;  your  father 
likes  his  telegrams  delivered,  I  remember." 

"I  will  call  for  them/'  said  Griswold.  "Governor  Os 
borne  was  only  at  home  a  few  hours  this  evening  and 
he  left  me  in  charge  of  these  matters.7' 

The  manager's  face  expressed  surprise. 

"Oh!  I  didn't  know  the  governor  was  at  home,"  he 
remarked,  as  he  finished  counting  the  words  and  charg 
ing  them  against  the  state's  account.  "I  will  send  them 
myself,  and  ask  the  operators  at  the  other  end  to  look 
lively  about  the  answers.  You  are  Mr. — " 

"This  is  Major  Griswold,"  said  Barbara,  conferring 
the  title  with  a  vague  feeling  that  it  strengthened  her 
cause. 

143 


144  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

"Major/'  repeated  the  manager,  and  he  nodded  to 
Griswold  with  an  air  that  implied  his  familiarity  with 
official  secrets.  "You  will  call?  In  a  couple  of  hours, 
Major." 

As  Barbara  and  Griswold  turned  to  leave,  a  young 
man  who  had  been  writing  a  message  at  the  standing 
desk  in  the  lobby  lifted  his  hat  and  addressed  Barbara. 
He  was  a  reporter  for  the  Columbia  Intelligencer,  and 
his  manner  was  eager. 

"Oh,  Miss  Osborne,  pardon  me,  but  Fve  been  trying 
to  get  you  on  the  telephone.  Can  you  tell  me  where  your 
father  is  to-night  ?" 

"Father  was  in  town  only  a  few  hours,  and  then  left 
on  state  business." 

The  young  man  glanced  from  one  to  the  other.  He 
was  a  polite  youngster  and  Miss  Barbara  Osborne  was — 
Miss  Barbara  Osborne,  and  this,  to  the  people  of  South 
Carolina,  was  a  fact  of  weight.  Still  the  reporter  twirled 
his  hat  uncertainly. 

"Well,  I  thought  I  had  met  all  the  trains,  but  I  guess 
I  missed  the  governor." 

"No;  you  didn't  miss  him,"  smiled  Barbara,  "Father 
drove  in  from  the  country  and  went  back  the  same  way. 
He  didn't  come  into  town  at  all." 


AN   AFFAIR    AT   THE    STATE    HOUSE     145 

The  news  instinct  is  the  keenest  with  which  man  may 
be  blessed,  and  the  reporter  scented  events.  Griswold, 
seeing  the  light  flash  in  the  young  man's  eye,  felt  that 
here  was  an  opportunity  to  allay  public  criticism. 

"Governor  Osborne  is  engaged  upon  important  pub 
lic  business.  He  will  be  absent  from  town  for  a  day — 
perhaps  a  week.  He  will  not  return  to  Columbia  until 
the  business  is  thoroughly  disposed  of." 

"May  I  ask  if  it's  the  Appleweight  case?  The 
Raleigh  papers  have  wired  for  information  and  we'd  like 
to  know  here." 

"I  can  not  answer  that  question.  It's  enough  that  the 
governor  is  absent  on  state  business,  and  that  the  busi 
ness  is  important.  You  may  print  that  in  the  Intelli 
gencer  and  repeat  it  to  Raleigh.  There  is  no  harm  in 
that,  is  there,  Miss  Osborne  ?" 

"No ;  certainly  not,"  Barbara  replied. 

"But  the  papers  all  over  the  state  are  talking  about  the 
Appleweight  gang.  They  intimate  that  those  people 
enjoy  immunity  from  prosecution  and  that  the  governor 
— you  will  pardon  me,  Miss  Osborne — will  take  no  steps 
to  arrest  them  for  personal  reasons." 

"Your  question  is  quite  proper,"  replied  Griswold. 
"The  governor's  acts  are  subject  to  scrutiny  at  all  times 


146  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

and  it  is  just  as  well  to  have  this  matter  understood  now. 
I  am  employed  by  the  governor  as  special  counsel  in 
some  state  matters.  My  name  is  Griswold.  Take  out 
your  book  and  come  to  the  desk  here  and  I  will  give 
you  a  statement  which  you  may  publish  as  by  the  author 
ity  of  the  governor." 

The  three  found  seats  at  a  table  and  Griswold  dic 
tated  while  the  reporter  wrote,  Barbara  meanwhile  sit 
ting  with  her  cheek  resting  against  her  raised  hand.  She 
was  experiencing  the  relief  we  all  know,  of  finding  a 
strong  arm  to  lean  upon  in  an  emergency,  and  she  real 
ized  that  Griswold  was  not  only  wise,  but  shrewd  and 
resourceful. 

"Please  print  this  exactly  as  I  give  it :  It  having  been 
intimated  in  certain  quarters  that  the  Appleweight  gang 
of  outlaws,  which  has  been  terrorizing  the  North  Caro 
lina  frontier  for  several  years,  enjoys  immunity  from 
prosecution  in  South  Carolina  owing  to  the  fact  that 
Governor  Osborne  was  at  some  time  attorney  for  Apple- 
weight,  Governor  Osborne  begs  to  say  that  steps  have 
already  been  taken  for  the  arrest  of  this  man  and  his 
followers,  dead  or  alive.  The  governor  presents  his  com 
pliments  to  those  amiable  critics  who  have  PO  eagerly 
seized  upon  this  pretext  for  slurring-  his  private  charac- 


AN    AFFAIR    AT    THE    STATE    HOUSE     147 

ter  and  aspersing  his  official  acts.  The  governor  has  no 
apologies  to  proft'er  the  people  of  South  Carolina,  who 
have  so  generously  reposed  in  him  their  trust  and 
confidence.  He  is  intent  upon  safe-guarding  the  peace, 
dignity  and  honor  of  the  state  through  an  honest  en 
forcement  of  law  and  he  has  no  other  aim  or  ambition." 

Griswold  took  the  reporter's  note-book  and  read  over 
this  pronunciamiento ;  then  he  handed  it  to  Barbara, 
who  studied  it  carefully. 

"I  think  that  sounds  just  right,  only,  why  not  substi 
tute  for  'honest'  the  word  'vigorous'  ?" 

"Excellent,"  assented  Griswold,  and  thus  amended 
the  statement  was  returned  to  the  reporter. 

"Now,"  said  Griswold  to  the  young  man,  "you  are 
getting  a  pretty  good  item  that  no  other  paper  will  have. 
Please  wire  your  story  to  Raleigh;  Governor  Osborne  is 
very  anxious  that  the  people  up  there  shall  understand 
fully  his  attitude  in  the  Appleweight  matter." 

"I  reckon  this  will  wake  up  old  Dangerfield  all  right," 
said  the  reporter,  grinning.  "He'll  be  paralyzed.  May  I 
use  your  name  in  this  connection,  sir?" 

"Not  at  all.  My  engagement  with  Governor  Osborne 
is  of  the  most  confidential  character  and  our  purposes 
would  be  defeated  by  publicity.  Remember,  you  get  the 


148  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

exclusive  use  of  this  story — the  return  and  immediate 
departure  of  the  governor,  his  statement  to  the  people  in 
the  Appleweight  case — all  with  the  understanding  that 
you  use  what  you  have  to  the  best  advantage/' 

"This  is  all  right,  is  it,  Miss  Osborae?"  asked  the 
reporter. 

"Major  Griswold  has  full  authority  to  act,  and  you 
need  question  nothing  he  tells  you/'  Barbara  replied. 

"I  suppose  the  governor  didn't  see  the  attorney-gen 
eral  to-day?"  asked  the  reporter  detainingly,  as  Bar 
bara  rose.  She  exchanged  a  glance  with  Griswold. 

"Father  didn't  see  Mr.  Bosworth  at  all,  if  that's  what 
you  mean !" 

"Didn't  see  him?  Well,  Bosworth  didn't  exactly  tell 
me  he  had  seen  him  to-day,  but  I  asked  him  about  the 
Appleweight  case  an  hour  ago  at  his  house  and  he  said 
the  governor  wasn't  going  to  do  anything  and  that  was 
the  end  of  it  so  far  as  the  administration  is  concerned." 

"Print  his  story  and  see  what  happens !  We  have  no 
comment  to  make  on  that,  have  we,  Miss  Osborne  ?" 

"Nothing  at  all,"  replied  Barbara  scornfully. 

"I'm  at  the  Saluda  House  at  present.  See  me  to 
morrow  and  I  may  have  another  story  for  you!"  and 


AN   AFFAIK    AT   THE    STATE    HOUSE     149 

Griswold  shook  the  reporter  warmly  by  the  hand  as  they 
parted  at  the  carriage  door. 

"Home,"  said  Barbara  for  the  reporter's  benefit,  and 
then,  to  Griswold:  "I  must  speak  of  another  matter. 
Drive  with  me  a  little  way  until  we  can  throw  the  re 
porter  off." 

She  spoke  quietly,  but  he  saw  that  she  was  preoccupied 
with  some  new  phase  of  the  situation,  and  as  the  car 
riage  gained  headway  she  said  earnestly: 

"That  young  man  told  the  truth — I  am  sure  of  it — 
about  Mr.  Bosworth.  I  knew  he  would  do  something  to 
injure  father  if  he  could,  but  I  did  not  know  he  had  the 
courage  to  go  so  far." 

"It's  only  politics,  Miss  Osborne,"  said  Griswold 
lightly.  "Besides,  you  may  be  sure  the  Intelligencer  will 
print  the  governor's  side  of  it  in  its  largest  type." 

"No;  it  is  not  politics.  It  is  more  despicable,  more 
contemptible,  more  ungenerous  even  than  politics.  But 
he  shall  be  punished,  humiliated  for  his  conduct." 

"You  shall  fix  his  punishment  yourself!"  laughed 
Griswold ;  "but  the  state's  business  first.  We  have  a  lit 
tle  more  to  do  before  I  am  satisfied  with  the  day's 
work." 


150  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

"Yes,  of  course.  We  must  leave  nothing  undone  that 
father  would  do  were  he  here  to  act  for  himself." 

"We  must  be  even  more  careful  in  his  absence  to  safe 
guard  his  honor  than  the  case  really  requires.  We  not 
only  have  his  public  responsibility  but  our  own  into  the 
bargain  in  so  far  as  we  speak  and  act  for  him.  And 
there's  always  the  state — the  Palmetto  flag  must  be  kept 
flying  at  the  masthead."  Their  eyes  met  as  they  passed 
under  an  electric  lamp  and  he  saw  how  completely  she 
was  relying  on  his  guidance. 

They  were  now  at  the  edge  of  town  and  she  bade  him 
stop  the  carriage. 

"We  must  go  to  the  state  house/'  said  Griswold. 
"We  must  get  that  requisition,  to  guard  against  treason 
in  the  citadel.  Assuming  that  Governor  Osborne  really 
doesn't  want  to  see  Appleweight  punished  we'd  better 
hold  the  requisition  anyhow.  It's  possible  that  your 
father  had  it  ready — do  pardon  me  ! — for  a  grand-stand 
play,  or  he  may  have  wanted  to  bring  Appleweight  into 
the  friendlier  state; — but  that's  all  conjectural.  We'd 
better  keep  out  of  the  principal  streets.  That  reporter 
has  a  sharp  eye." 

She  gave  the  necessary  directions  and  the  driver 
turned  back  into  Columbia.  It  was  pleasant  to  find  his 


AN   AFFAIR   AT    THE    STATE    HOUSE     151 

accomplice  in  this  conspiracy  a  girl  of  keen  wit  who 
did  not  debate  matters  or  ask  tiresome  questions.  The 
business  ahead  was  serious  enough,  though  he  tried  by 
manner,  tone  and  words  to  minimize  its  gravity.  If  the 
attorney-general  was  serving  a  personal  spite,  or  what 
ever  the  cause  of  his  attitude,  he  might  go  far  in  taking 
advantage  of  the  governor's  absence.  Griswold's  rela 
tion  to  the  case  was  equivocal  enough,  he  fully  realized ; 
but  the  very  fact  of  its  being  without  precedent,  and  so 
beset  with  pitfalls  for  all  concerned,  was  a  spur  to  ac 
tion.  In  the  present  instance  a  duly  executed  requisi 
tion  for  the  apprehension  of  a  criminal,  which  could  not 
be  replaced  if  lost,  must  be  held  at  all  hazards,  and  Gris- 
wold  had  determined  to  make  sure  of  the  governor's  war 
rant  before  he  slept. 

"Have  you  the  office  keys  ?"  he  asked. 

"Yes;  I  have  been  afraid  to  let  go  of  them.  There's 
a  watchman  in  the  building,  but  he  knows  me  very  well. 
There  will  not  be  the  slightest  trouble  about  getting  in." 

The  watchman — an  old  Confederate  veteran — sat 
smoking  in  the  entrance  and  courteously  bade  them  good 
evening. 

"I  want  to  get  some  papers  from  father's  office,  Cap 
tain." 


152  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  K1LDARE 

•  "Certainly,  Miss  Barbara/'  He  preceded  them,  throw 
ing  on  the  lights,  to  the  governor's  door,  which  he  opened 
with  his  own  pass  key.  "It's  pretty  lonesome  here  at 
night,  Miss  Barbara/' 

"I  suppose  nobody  comes  at  night,"  remarked  Gris- 
wold. 

"Not  usually,  sir.  But  one  or  two  students  are  at  work 
in  the  library,  and  Mr.  Bosworth  is  in  his  office." 

The  veteran  walked  away  jingling  his  keys.  Barbara 
was  already  in  the  private  office  bending  over  the  govern 
or's  desk.  She  found  the  right  key,  drew  out  a  drawer, 
then  cried  out  softly.  She  knelt  beside  the  desk,  throw 
ing  the  papers  about  in  her  eagerness,  then  turned  to 
Griswold  with  a  white  face. 

"The  drawer  has  been  opened  since  I  was  here  this 
morning.  The  requisition  and  all  the  other  papers  in 
the  case  are  gone." 

Griswold  examined  the  lock  carefully  and  pointed  to 
the  roughened  edges  of  the  wood. 

"A  blade  of  the  shears  there,  or  perhaps  the  paper 
cutter — who  knows?  The  matter  is  simple  enough,  so 
please  do  not  trouble  about  it.  Wait  here  a  moment.  I 
want  to  make  some  inquiries  of  the  watchman." 

He  found  the  old  fellow  pacing  the  portico  like  a 


AN   AFFAIR    AT    THE    STATE    HOUSE     153 

sentry.  He  pointed  out  the  attorney-general's  office, 
threw  on  a  few  additional  lights  for  Griswold's  guidance, 
and  resumed  his  patrol  duty  outside. 

The  attorney-general's  door  was  locked,  but  in  re 
sponse  to  Griswold's  knock  it  was  opened  guardedly. 

"I  am  very  sorry  to  trouble  you,  Mr.  Bosworth,"  be 
gan  Griswold,  quietly  edging  his  way  into  the  room, 
"but  one  never  gets  wholly  away  from  business  these 
days." 

He  closed  the  door  himself,  and  peered  into  the  inner 
rooms  to  be  sure  the  attorney-general  was  alone.  Bos- 
worth's  face  flushed  angrily  when  he  found  that  a 
stranger  had  thus  entered  his  office  with  a  cool  air  of 
proprietorship;  then  he  stared  blankly  at  Griswold  for 
a  moment  before  he  recalled  where  he  had  seen  him 
before. 

"I  don't  receive  visitors  at  night,"  he  blurted,  laying 
his  hand  on  the  door.  "I'm  engaged,  and  you'll  have  to 
come  in  office  hours." 

He  shook  the  door  as  though  to  call  Griswold's  atten 
tion  to  it. 

"Do  you  see  this  thing — it's  the  door !"  he  roared. 

"I  have  seen  it  from  both  sides,  Mr.  Bosworth.  I  in 
tend  to  stay  on  this  side  until  I  get  ready  to  go." 


154  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

<fWho  the  devil  are  you  ?  What  do  you  mean  by  com 
ing  here  at  this  time  of  night  ?" 

"I'm  a  lawyer  myself,  if  you  will  force  the  ignoble 
truth  from  me.  Now,  when  you  are  perfectly  quiet,  and 
once  more  the  sane,  reasonable  human  being  you  must 
be  to  have  been  trusted  with  the  office  you  hold,  we'll 
proceed  to  business.  Meanwhile,  please  put  on  your  coat. 
A  man  in  his  shirt-sleeves  is  always  at  a  disadvantage; 
and  we  Virginians  are  sticklers  for  the  proprieties/' 

The  attorney-general's  fury  abated  when  he  saw  that 
he  had  to  deal  with  a  low-voiced  young  man  who  seemed 
unlikely  to  yield  to  intimidation.  Griswold  had,  in  fact, 
seated  himself  on  a  table  that  was  otherwise  covered 
with  law  books,  and  he  sniffed  with  pleasure  the  familiar 
atmosphere  of  dusty  law  calf,  which  no  one  who  has  had 
the  slightest  acquaintance  with  a  law  office  ever  forgets. 
To  his  infinite  amusement  Bosworth  was  actually  put 
ting  on  his  coat,  though  it  may  have  been  a  little  ab 
sent-mindedly  to  give  him  an  opportunity  to  decide  upon 
a  plan  for  getting  rid  of  his  visitor.  However  this  may 
have  been,  Bosworth  now  stepped  to  the  side  of  the  room 
and  snatched  down  the  telephone  receiver. 

Griswold  caught  him  by  the  shoulder  and  flung  him 
round. 


AN   AFFAIR   AT   THE    STATE   HOUSE     155 

"None  of  that!  By  calling  the  police  you  will  only 
get  yourself  into  trouble.  I'm  bigger  than  you  are  and  I 
should  hate  to  have  to  throw  you  out  of  the  window. 
Now" — and  he  caught  and  hung  up  the  receiver,  which 
was  wildly  banging  the  wall — "now  let  us  be  sensible  and 
get  down  to  business." 

"Who  the  devil  are  you  ?"  demanded  Bosworth,  glar 
ing. 

"I'm  special  counsel  for  Governor  Osborne  in  the 
Appleweight  case.  There's  no  use  in  wasting  time  in  fur 
ther  identification,  but  if  you  take  down  that  volume  on 
Admiralty  Practice  just  behind  you,  you  will  find  my 
name  on  the  title  page.  Or,  to  save  you  the  trouble,  as 
you  seem  to  be  interested  in  my  appearance,  I  will  tell 
you  that  my  name  is  Griswold  and  that  my  address  is 
Charlottesville,  Virginia." 

"You  are  undoubtedly  lying.  If  you  are  smart  enough 
to  write  a  book  you  ought  to  know  enough  about  legal 
procedure  to  understand  that  the  attorney-general  repre 
sents  the  state  and  special  counsel  would  not  be  chosen 
without  his  knowledge." 

"Allow  me  to  correct  you,  my  learned  brother.  You 
should  never  misquote  the  opposing  counsel — it's  one  of 
the  rules  of  the  game.  What  I  said  a  moment  ago  was 


156  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

that  I  represented  the  governor — Governor  Osborne.  I 
didn't  say  I  represented  the  state,  which  is  a  different 
matter,  and  beset  with  ultra  vires  pitfalls.  There  is  no 
earthly  reason  why  a  governor  should  not  detach  him 
self,  so  to  speak,  from  his  office  and  act  in  propria  per 
sona,  as  a  mere  citizen.  His  right  to  private  remedy 
is  not  abridged  by  the  misfortune  of  office-holding. 
Whether  he  can  himself  be  made  defendant  in  an  ac 
tion  at  law  touches  that  ancient  question,  whether  the 
monarch  or  the  state  can  be  sued.  That's  a  question  law 
students  have  debated  from  the  beginning  of  time,  but 
we  must  not  confuse  it  with  the  case  at  issue.  The  gov 
ernor,  as  a  citizen,  may  certainly  employ  such  counsel 
as  he  pleases,  and  just  now  I  represent  him.  Of  course, 
if  you  want  me  to  furnish  a  brief — " 

Griswold's  manner  was  deliberate  and  ingratiating. 
He  saw  that  the  attorney-general  had  not  the  slightest 
sense  of  humor  and  that  his  play  upon  legal  phrases  was 
wasted.  Bosworth  grinned,  but  not  at  the  legal  status 
of  monarchs  and  states.  He  had  thought  of  a  clever 
stroke  and  he  dealt  the  blow  with  confidence. 

"Let  us  assume,"  he  said,  "that  you  represent  Mr.  Os 
borne.  May  I  ask  the  whereabouts  of  your  client  ?" 

"Certainly.    You  may  ask  anything  you  please,  but 


A1ST    AFFAIR    AT    THE    STATE    HOUSE     157 

it  will  da  you  no  good.  It's  an  old  rule  of  the  game 
never  to  divulge  a  client's  secret.  Governor  Osborne  has 
his  own  reasons  for  absenting  himself  from  his  office. 
However,  he  was  at  home  to-night." 

"I  rather  guess  not,  as  I  had  all  the  trains  watched. 
You'll  have  to  do  a  lot  better  than  that,  Mr.  Griswold." 

"He  has  issued  a  statement  to  the  public  since  you 
lied  to  the  Intelligencer  reporter  about  him  to-day.  I 
suppose  it's  part  of  your  official  duty  to  misrepresent 
the  head  of  the  state  administration  in  the  press,  but  the 
governor  is  in  the  saddle  and  I  advise  you  to  be  good." 

The  attorney-general  felt  that  he  was  not  making 
headway.  His  disadvantage  in  dealing  with  a  stranger 
whose  identity  he  still  questioned  angered  him.  He  did 
not  know  why  Griswold  had  sought  him  out,  and  he 
was  chagrined  at  having  allowed  himself  to  be  so  easily 
cornered. 

"You  seem  to  know  a  good  deal,"  he  sneered.  "How 
did  you  get  into  this  thing  anyhow  ?" 

"My  dear  sir,  I  was  chosen  by  the  governor  because 
of  my  superior  attainments,  don't  you  see  ?  But  I'm  in 
a  hurry  now.  I  came  here  on  a  particular  errand.  I 
want  that  requisition  in  the  Appleweight  case — quick ! — 
if  you  please,  Mr.  Bosworth." 


158  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  K1LDARE 

He  jumped  down  from  the  table  and  took  up  his  hat 
and  stick. 

"Mr.  Griswold,  or  whoever  you  are,  you  are  either  a 
fool  or  a  blackguard.  There  isn't  any  requisition  for 
Appleweight.  The  governor  never  had  the  sand  to  issue 
any,  if  you  must  know  the  truth !  If  you  knew  anything 
about  the  governor  you  would  know  that  that's  why 
Osborne  is  hiding  himself.  He  can't  afford  to  offend  the 
Appleweights,  if  you  must  know  the  disagreeable  truth. 
Your  coming  here  and  asking  me  for  that  requisition  is 
funn}%  if  you  had  the  brains  to  see  it.  Poor  old  Osborne 
is  scared  to  death  and  I  doubt  if  he's  within  a  hundred 
miles  of  here.  You  don't  know  the  governor ;  I  do !  He's 
a  dodger,  a  trimmer  and  a  coward." 

"Mr.  Bosworth,"  began  Griswold  deliberately,  "that 
requisition,  duly  signed  and  bearing  the  seal  of  the  sec 
retary  of  state  as  by  the  statutes  in  such  cases  made  and 
provided,  was  in  Governor  Osborne's  desk  this  morning 
at  the  time  you  were  so  daintily  kicking  the  door  in 
your  anxiety  to  see  the  governor.  It  has  since  been  taken 
from  the  drawer  where  the  governor  left  it  when  he  went 
to  New  Orleans.  You  have  gone  in  there  like  a  sneak- 
thief,  pried  open  the  drawer  and  stolen  that  document; 
and  now — " 


AN   AFFAIR   AT   THE    STATE    HOUSE     159 

"It's1  an  ugly  charge/'  mocked  the  attorney-general. 

"ItVall  of  that/'  and  Griswold  smiled. 

"But  you  forget  that  you  represent  Mr.  Osborne.  On 
the  other  hand  I  represent  Governor  Osborne,  and  if  I 
want  the  Appleweight  papers  I  had  every  right  to 
them." 

"After  office  hours,  feloniously  and  with  criminal  in 
tent?"  laughed  Griswold. 

"We  will  assume  that  I  have  them/'  sneered  Bosworth, 
"and  such  being  the  case  I  will  return  them  only  to  the 
governor." 

"Then," — and  Griswold's  smile  broadened. — "if  it 
comes  to  concessions,  I  will  grant  that  you  are  within 
your  rights  in  wishing  to  place  them  in  the  governor's 
own  hands.  The  governor  of  South  Carolina  is  now, 
so  to  speak,  in  camera/' 

"The  governor  is  hiding.  He's  afraid  to  come  to 
Columbia,  and  the  whole  state  knows  it." 

"The  papers,  my  friend;  and  I  will  satisfy  you  that 
the  governor  of  South  Carolina  is  under  this  roof  and 
transacting  business." 

"Here  in  the  state  house?"  demanded  Bosworth,  and 
he  blanched  and  twisted  the  buttons  of  his  coat  nerv 
ously. 


160  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

"The  governor  of  South  Carolina.,  the  supreme  power 
of  the  state,  charged  with  full  responsibility,  enjoying 
all  the  immunities,  rights  and  privileges  unto  him  be 
longing." 

It  was  clear  that  Bosworth  took  no  stock  whatever  in 
Griswold's  story;  but  Griswold's  pretended  employment 
by  the  governor  and  his  apparent  knowledge  of  the  gov 
ernor's  affairs,  piqued  his  curiosity.  If  this  was  really 
the  Griswold  who  had  written  a  widely  accepted  work 
on  admiralty  and  who  was  known  to  him  by  reputation 
as  a  brilliant  lawyer  of  Virginia,  the  mystery  was  all  the 
deeper.  By  taking  the  few  steps  necessary  to  reach  the 
governor's  chambers  he  would  prove  the  falsity  of  Gris- 
wold's  pretensions  to  special  knowledge  of  the  governor's 
whereabouts  and  plans.  He  stepped  to  an  inner  office, 
came  back  with  a  packet  of  papers  and  thrust  a  re 
volver  into  his  pocket  with  so  vain  a  show  of  it  that 
Griswold  laughed  aloud. 

"What !  Do  you  still  back  your  arguments  with  fire 
arms  down  here?  It's  a  method  that  has  gone  out  of 
fashion  in  Virginia !" 

"If  there's  a  trick  in  this  it  will  be  the  worse  for  you," 
scowled  Bosworth. 

"And  pray,  remember  on  your  side,  that  you  are  to 


AN    AFFAIE    AT    THE    STATE    HOUSE     161 

give  those  documents  into  the  hands  of  the  governor. 
Come  along." 

They  met  the  watchman  in  the  corridor  and  he  saluted 
them  and  passed  on.  Bosworth  strode  eagerly  forward 
in  his  anxiety  to  prick  the  bubble  of  Griswold's  preten 
sions. 

Griswold  threw  open  the  door  of  the  governor's  re 
ception-room,  and  they  blinked  in  the  stronger  light 
that  poured  in  from  the  private  office.  There,  in  the 
governor's  chair  by  the  broad  official  desk,  sat  Barbara 
Osborne  reading  a  newspaper. 

"Your  Excellency/'  said  Griswold,  bowing  gravely  and 
advancing;  "I  beg  to  present  the  attorney-general !" 

"Barbara!" 

The  papers  fell  from  the  attorney-general's  hands. 
He  stood  staring  until  astonishment  began  to  yield  to 
rage  as  he  realized  that  a  trap  had  been  sprung  upon 
him.  The  girl  had  risen  instantly  and  a  smile  played 
about  her  lips  for  a  moment.  She  had  vaguely  surmised 
that  Griswold  would  charge  Bosworth  with  the  loss  of 
the  papers,  but  her  associate  in  the  conspiracy  had  now 
given  a  turn  to  the  matter  that  amused  her. 

"Barbara!"  blurted  the  attorney-general,  "what  game 
is  this — what  contemptible  trick  is  this  stranger  play- 


162  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

ing  on  you?  Don't  you  understand  that  your  father's 
absence  is  a  most  serious  matter  and  that  in  the  present 
condition  of  this  Appleweight  affair  it  is  likely  to  involve 
him  and  the  state  in  scandal  ?" 

Barbara  regarded  him  steadily  for  a  moment  with  a 
negative  sort  of  gaze.  She  took  a  step  forward  before 
she  spoke  and  then  she  asked  quickly  and  sharply : 

"What  have  you  done,  Mr.  Bosworth,  to  avert  these 
calamities,  and  what  was  in  your  mind  when  you  pried 
open  the  drawer  and  took  out  those  papers?" 

"I  was  going  to  use  the  requisition — " 

"How?" 

"Why,  I  expected—" 

"Mr.  Bosworth  expected  to  effect  a  coup  for  his  own 
glory  during  the  governor's  absence,"  suggested  Gris- 
wold. 

"How?"  and  Barbara's  voice  rang  imperiously  and 
her  eyes  flashed. 

"Send  this  unknown  person,  this  impostor  and  med 
dler,  away  and  I  will  talk  to  you  as  old  friends  may  talk 
together,"  and  he  glared  fiercely  at  Griswold,  who  stood 
fanning  himself  with  his  hat. 

"I  asked  you  how  you  intended  to  serve  my  father, 
Mr.  Bosworth,  because  vou  sent  me  this  afternoon  a 


AN    AFFAIR    AT    THE    STATE    HOUSE     163 

letter  in  which  you  threatened  me — you  threatened  me 
with  my  father's  ruin  if  I  did  not  marry  you.  You 
would  take  advantage  of  my  trouble  and  anxiety  to 
force  that  question  on  me  when  I  had  answered  it  once 
and  for  all  long  ago.  Before  this  stranger  I  want  to 
tell  you  that  you  are  a  despicable  coward  and  that  if 
you  think  you  can  humiliate  me  or  my  father  or  the 
state  by  such  practices  as  you  have  resorted  to  you  are 
very  greatly  mistaken.  And  further,  Mr.  Bosworth,  if 
I  find  you  interfering  again  in  this  matter  I  shall  print 
that  letter  you  wrote  me  to-day  in  every  newspaper  in 
the  state !  Now,  that  is  all  I  have  to  say  to  you,  and  I 
hope  never  to  see  you  again." 

"Before  you  go,  Mr.  Bosworth,"  said  Griswold,  <;I 
wish  to  say  that  Miss  Osborne  has  spoken  of  your  con 
duct  with  altogether  too  much  restraint.  I  shall  add,  on 
my  own  account,  that  if  I  find  you  meddling  again  in 
this  Appleweight  case,  I  shall  first  procure  your  removal 
from  office  and  after  that  I  shall  take  the  greatest  pleas 
ure  in  flogging  you  within  an  inch  of  your  life.  Now 
go!" 

The  two  had  dismissed  him,  and  before  Bosworth's 
step  died  away  in  the  hall,  Griswold  was  running  his 
eye  over  the  papers. 


164  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

"That  man  will  do  something  nasty  if  he  is  clever 
enough  to  think  of  anything." 

"He's  a  disgusting  person,"  said  Barbara,  touching 
her  forehead  with  her  handkerchief. 

"He's  all  of  that/'  remarked  Griswold,  as  he  retied  the 
red-tape  round  the  packet  of  papers.  "And  now,  before 
we  leave  we  may  as  well  face  a  serious  proposition.  Your 
father's  absence  and  this  fiction  we  are  maintaining  that 
he  is  really  here  can  not  be  maintained  forever.  I  don't 
want  to  trouble  you,  for  you,  of  course,  realize  all  this 
as  keenly  as  I.  But  what  do  you  suppose  actually  hap 
pened  at  New  Orleans  between  your  father  and  the  gov 
ernor  of  North  Carolina?" 

She  leaned  against  her  father's  desk,  her  hands  lightly 
resting  on  its  flat  surface.  She  was  wholly  serene  now, 
and  she  smiled  and  then  laughed. 

"It  couldn't  have  been  what  the  governor  of  North 
Carolina  said  to  the  governor  of  South  Carolina  in  the 
old  story,  for  father  is  strongly  opposed  to  drink  of  all 
kinds.  And  in  the  story — " 

"I've  forgotten  where  that  story  originated." 

"Well,  it  happened  a  long  time  ago,  and  nobody  really 
knows  the  origin.  But  according  to  tradition,  at  the 
crisis  of  a  great  row  between  two  governors,  the  ice  was 


AN    AFEAIK    AT   THE    STATE    HOUSE     165 

broken  by  the  governor  of  North  Carolina  saying  to  the 
governor  of  South  Carolina  those  shocking  words  about 
it's  being  a  long  time  between  drinks.  What  makes  the 
New  Orleans  incident  so  remarkable  is  that  father  and 
Governor  Dangerfield  have  always  been  friends,  though 
I  never  cared  very  much  for  the  Dangerfields  myself. 
The  only  tiffs  they  have  had  have  been  purely  for 
effect.  When  father  said  that  the  people  of  North 
Carolina  would  never  amount  to  anything  so  long  as 
they  fry  their  meat  it  was  only  his  joke  with  Governor 
Dangerfield — but  it  did  make  North  Carolina  awfully 
mad.  And  Jerry — she's  the  governor's  daughter — re 
fused  to  visit  me  last  winter  just  on  that  account.  Jerry 
Dangerfield's  a  nice  little  girl,  but  she  has  no  sense  of 
humor." 


CHAPTER  VIII 

THE   LABORS   OF   MR.   ARDMORE 

While  he  waited  for  Miss  Jerry  Dangerfield  to  appear 
Mr.  Thomas  Ardmore  read  for  the  first  time  the  con 
stitution  of  the  United  States.  He  had  reached  the  gov 
ernor's  office  early,  and,  seeking  diversion,  he  had  picked 
up  a  small  volume  that  bore  some  outward  resemblance 
to  a  novel.  This  proved,  however,  to  be  Johnston's  Amer 
ican  Politics,  and  he  was  amazed  to  find  that  this  di 
minutive  work  contained  the  answers  to  a  great  many 
questions  which  had  often  perplexed  him,  but  which  he 
had  imagined  could  not  be  answered  except  by  states 
men  or  by  men  like  his  friend  Griswold,  who  spent  their 
lives  in  study. 

He  had  supposed  that  the  constitution  of  a  great 
nation  like  the  United  States  would  fill  many  volumes, 
and  be  couched  in  terms  bewildering  and  baffling;  and 
it  was  perhaps  the  proudest  moment  in  Mr.  Ardmore's 
life  when,  in  the  cool  and  quiet  of  the  May  morning,  in 

166 


THE    LABOES    OF    MR.   ARDMORE       167 

the  historic  chambers  of  the  governor  of  North  Carolina, 
it  dawned  upon  him  that  the  charter  of  American  lib 
erty  filled  hardly  more  space  than  the  stipulations  for  a 
yacht  race,  or  a  set  of  foot-ball  rules ;  and  that,  more 
over,  he  understood  the  greater  part  of  it,  or  thought  he 
did.  Such  strange  words  as  "attainder"  and  "capitation" 
he  sought  out  in  the  dictionary,  and  this  also  gave  him  a 
new  sensation  and  thrill  of  pleasure  at  finding  the  ma 
chinery  of  knowledge  so  simple.  He  made  note  of  sev 
eral  matters  he  wished  to  ask  Griswold  about  when  they 
met  again;  then  turned  back  into  the  body  of  the  text 
and  had  read  as  far  as  Burr's  conspiracy  when  Jerry 
came  breezily  in.  He  experienced  for  the  first  time  in 
his  life  that  obsession  of  guilt  which  sinks  in  shame  the 
office-boy  who  is  caught  reading  a  dime  novel.  Jerry 
seemed  to  tower  above  him  like  an  avenging  angel,  and 
though  her  sword  was  only  a  parasol,  her  words  cut  deep 
enough. 

"Well,  you  are  taking  it  pretty  cool !" 

"Taking  what  ?"  faltered  Ardmore,  standing  up,  and 
seeking  to  hide  the  book  behind  his  back. 

"Why,  this  outrageous  article  I"  and  she  thrust  a  news 
paper  under  his  eyes.  "Do  you  mean  to  say  you  haven't 
seen  the  morning  paper  ?" 


168  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

"To  tell  you  the  truth,  Miss  Dangerfield,  I  hardly  ever 
read  the  papers/' 

"What's  that  you  were  reading  when  I  came  in  ?"  she 
demanded  severely,  withholding  the  paper  until  she 
should  be  answered. 

"It's  a  book  about  the  government,  and  the  powers 
reserved  to  the  states  and  that  sort  of  thing.  I  was  just 
reading  the  constitution ;  I  thought  it  might  help  us — I 
mean  you — in  your  work." 

"The  constitution  help  me?  Hasn't  it  occurred  to 
you  before  this  that  what  I'm  doing  is  all  against  the 
constitution  and  the  revised  statutes  and  all  those  books 
you  see  on  the  shelf  there  ?" 

''But  the  constitution  sounds  all  right.  It  seems  re 
markably  reasonable.  You  couldn't  ask  anything  fairer 
than  that!" 

"So  are  the  ten  commandments  fair  enough;  but 
you're  on  the  wrong  track,  Mr.  Ardmore,  if  you're  try 
ing  to  support  the  present  administration  with  stupid 
things  in  books.  I  don't  follow  precedents,  Mr.  Ard 
more;  I  create  them." 

"But  I  should  think  you  would  have  to  be  awfully 
careful  not  to  mix  up  the  business  of  the  executive  and 
judicial  branches  of  the  government.  I  think  I  heard 


THE   LABORS    OF   MR.   ARDMORE       169 

Grissy  speak  of  that  once,  though  I'm  not  certain. 
Grissy  knows  more  than  almost  any  other  living  man." 

"I  don't  doubt  that  your  friend  is  a  well-educated 
person,  but  in  times  like  these  you've  got  to  rise  above 
the  constitution;  and  just  now  it's  more  convenient  to 
forget  it.  There's  a  constitution  of  North  Carolina,  too, 
if  you're  looking  for  constitutions,  but  in  good  society 
such  things  are  not  mentioned.  Papa  always  refers  to 
the  constitution  with  tears  in  his  eyes  when  he's  making 
speeches,  but  papa's  very  emotional.  If  I  could  make  a 
speech  I  should  tell  the  people  what  I  think  of  them — 
that  they're  too  silly  and  stupid  for  words." 

"You  are  right,  Miss  Dangerfield.  I  have  felt  exactly 
that  way  about  the  people  ever  since  I  was  defeated  for 
alderman  in  New  York.  But  let  me  have  the  paper." 

She  turned  to  the  morning  mail  while  he  read,  and 
opened  the  envelopes  rapidly.  Such  of  the  letters  as  she 
thought  interesting  or  important  she  put  aside,  and  when 
Ardmore  finished  reading  a  double-leaded  telegram 
from  Columbia,  in  which  the  governor  of  South  Caro 
lina  was  quoted  as  declaring  his  intention  of  taking  im 
mediate  steps  for  the  apprehension  of  Appleweight,  she 
was  still  reading  and  sorting  letters,  tapping  her  cheek 
lightly  meanwhile  with  the  official  paper-knife. 


IfO  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDAKE 

"Here,  Mr.  Ardmore,"  she  said,  drawing  a  paper  from 
her  pocket,  "is  the  answer  to  that  telegram  we  sent 
yesterday  evening.  Suppose  you  read  that  next,  and 
we  can  then  decide  what  to  do." 

She  was  making  the  letters  into  little  piles,  humming 
softly  meanwhile;  but  he  felt  that  there  was  a  storm 
brewing.  He  read  the  message  from  Columbia  a  num 
ber  of  times,  and  if  the  acting  governor  had  not  been 
so  ominously  quiet  he  would  have  laughed  at  the  terse 
sentences. 

"There  must  be  a  mistake  about  this.  He  wouldn't 
have  used  'diverting*  that  way;  that's  insulting!" 

"So  you  appreciate  its  significance,  do  you,  Mr.  Ard- 
more?  The  iron  enters  your  soul,  does  it?  You  realize 
that  I  have  been  insulted,  do  you  ?" 

"I  shouldn't  put  it  that  way,  Miss  Dangerfield.  Gov 
ernor  Osborne  would  never  have  sent  a  message  like  that 
to  you — he  thought  he  was  sending  it  to  your  father." 

"He's  insulted  me  and  every  other  citizen  in  the  Old 
North  State;  that's  who  he's  insulted,  Mr.  Ardmore. 
Let  me  read  it  again;"  and  she  repeated  the  telegram 
aloud : 

"  TTour  extremely  diverting  telegram  in  Appleweight 
case  received  and  filed.'  I  think  it's  the  extremely  thaf  s 


THE    LABORS    OF   MR.   AKDMORE       171 

so  perfectly  mean.  The  diverting  by  itself  would  not 
hurt  my  feelings  half  so  much.  He's  a  good  deal 
smarter  man  than  I  thought  he  was  to  think  up  a  tele 
gram  like  that.  But  what  do  you  think  of  that  piece  in 
the  newspaper?" 

"He  says  he's  going  to  catch  Appleweight  dead  or 
alive.  That  sounds  pretty  serious." 

"I  think  it's  a  bluff  myself.  That  telegram  we  sent 
him  yesterday  must  have  scared  him  to  death.  He  was 
driven  into  a  corner  and  had  to  do  something  to  avoid 
being  disgraced,  and  it's  easy  enough  to  talk  big  in  the 
newspapers  when  you  haven't  the  slightest  intention 
of  doing  anything  at  all.  I've  noticed  that  father  talks 
the  longest  and  loudest  about  things  he  doesn't  believe 
at  all." 

"Is  it  possible?"  whispered  Ardrnore  incredulously. 

"Of  course  it's  possible!  Father  would  never  have 
been  elected  if  he'd  expressed  his  real  sentiments;  nei 
ther  would  anybody  else  ever  be  elected  if  he  said  before 
hand  what  he  really  believed." 

"That  must  have  been  the  reason  I  got  defeated  for 
alderman  on  the  reform  ticket.  I  told  'em  I  was  for 
turning  the  rascals  out." 

"That  was  very  stupid  of  you.  You've  got  to  get  the 


172  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

rascals  to  elect  you  first;  then  if  you're  tired  of  office 
and  don't  need  them  any  more  you  bounce  them.  But 
that's  political  practice;  it's  a  theory  we've  got  to  work 
out  now.  Governor  Osborne's  telegram  is  much  more 
important  than  his  interview  in  the  newspapers,  which 
is  just  for  effect  and  of  no  importance  at  all.  He  doesn't 
say  the  same  things  in  the  telegram  to  father  that  he 
said  to  the  reporter.  A  governor  who  really  meant  to  do 
anything  wouldn't  be  so  ready  to  insult  another  gov 
ernor.  The  newspapers  are  a  lot  of  bother.  I  spent  all 
yesterday  evening  talking  to  reporters.  They  came  to 
the  house  to  ask  where  papa  was  and  when  he  would  be 
home!" 

"What  did  you  tell  them?" 

"I  didn't  tell  them  anything.  I  sent  out  for  two  other 
girls  and  we  all  just  talked  to  them  and  kept  talking, 
and  gave  them  lemon  sherbet  and  ginger  cookies;  and 
Eva  Hunger  ford  played  the  banjo — you  don't  know 
Eva?  Of  course  you  don't  know  anybody,  and  I  don't 
want  you  to,  for  it  would  spoil  you  for  private  secretary. 
But  Eva  is  simply  killing  when  she  gets  to  cutting  up, 
and  we  made  those  reporters  sing  to  us,  and  all  they  say 
in  the  papers,  even  the  opposition  papers,  this  morning 
is  that  Governor  Dangerfield  is  in  Savannah  visiting 


THE    LABOBS    OF   MR.   ARDMORE       173 

an  old  friend.  They  all  tell  the  same  story,  so  they  must 
have  fixed  it  up  after  they  left  the  house.  But  what  were 
you  doing,  Mr.  Ardmore,  that  you  didn't  come  around 
to  help?  It  seems  to  me  you  don't  appreciate  the  re 
sponsibilities  of  being  secretary  to  a  governor." 

"I  was  afraid  you  might  scold  me  if  I  did.  And  be 
sides  I  was  glued  to  the  long  distance  telephone  all 
evening,  talking  to  my  manager  at  Ardsley.  He  read 
me  my  letters  and  a  lot  of  telegrams  that  annoyed  me 
very  much.  I  wish  you  wouldn't  be  so  hard  on  me,  for 
I  have  trifling  troubles  of  my  own." 

"I  didn't  suppose  you  ever  had  troubles ;  you  certainly 
don't  act  as  though  you  ever  had." 

"No  one  who  has  never  been  brother-in-law  to  a  duke 
has  the  slightest  idea  of  what  trouble  is." 

"Fve  seen  the  Duke  of  Ballywinkle's  picture  in  the 
papers  and  he  looks  very  attractive." 

"Well,  if  you'd  ever  seen  him  eat  celery  you'd  change 
your  mind.  He's  going  down  to  Ardsley  to  visit  me ;  for 
sheer  nerve  I  must  say  my  relations  beat  the  world.  I 
got  my  place  over  here  in  North  Carolina  just  to  get 
away  from  them,  and  now  my  sister — not  the  duchess, 
but  Mrs.  Atchison — is  coming  down  there  with  a  lot  of 
girls  and  Ballywinkle  has  attached  himself  to  the  party. 


174  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDAHB 

They'll  pass  through  here  to-day,  and  they'll  expect  to 
find  me  at  Ardsley." 

"If  the  duke's  really  coming  to  our  state  I  suppose 
we  ought  to  recognize  him  officially,"  and  Jerry's  eyes 
were  large  with  reverie  as  she  pondered  her  possible 
duty. 

"Do  something  for  him!"  blazed  Ardmore.  "I  hope 
you  don't  labor  under  the  delusion  that  a  duke's  any 
better  than  anybody  else  ?  If  you'd  suffered  what  I  have 
from  being  related  to  a  duke  you'd  be  sorry  to  hear  he 
was  even  passing  through  your  state,  much  less  stopping 
off  for  a  couple  of  weeks." 

"Because  you  don't  like  him  is  no  reason  why  every 
one  else  should  feel  the  same  way,  is  it?  I've  read  about 
the  Duke  of  Ballywinkle  and  he  belongs  to  one  of  the 
oldest  families  in  England,  and  I've  seen  pictures  of 
Ballywinkle  Castle—" 

"Worse  than  that,"  grinned  Ardmore  with  rising 
humor,  "I  had  to  chip  in  to  pay  for  it !  And  the  plumb 
ing  isn't  yet  what  it  ought  to  be.  The  last  time  I  was 
over  there  I  caught  cold  and  nearly  died  of  pneumonia. 
I  make  it  a  rule  now  never  to  visit  dukes.  You  never 
know  what  you'll  strike  when  you  stay  in  those  ancestral 
castles,  even  when  they've  been  restored  with  some  silly 


THE    LABORS    OF    MR.   ARDMORE       175 

American  girl's  grandfather's  money.  Those  places  are 
all  full  of  drafts  and  malaria  and  ghosts,  and  they 
make  you  drink  tea  in  the  afternoon,  which  is  worse 
than  being  haunted." 

"I  suppose  we  might  invite  his  Grace  to  inspect  our 
militia/'  persisted  Jerry.  "It  would  sound  well  in  the 
papers  to  have  a  real  duke  inspect  the  North  Carolina 
troops." 

"It  would  sound  better  than  he  would  look  doing  it, 
I  can  tell  you  that.  Old  Wellington  may  have  been  all 
right,  but  these  new  dukes  were  never  made  for  horse 
back." 

"He  might  appear  in  a  carriage,  wearing  his  orders 
and  ride  the  lines  that  way,  with  all  the  troops  present 
ing  arms." 

"Or  you  might  pin  his  debts  on  him  and  mount  him 
on  a  goat  on  the  rifle-range  and  let  the  sharp-shooters 
pepper  away  at  him !  Please  let  us  not  talk  about  Bally- 
winkle  any  more;  the  thought  of  him  gives  me  that 
sinking  feeling." 

He  had  opened  an  atlas  and  was  poring  over  it  with 
a  magnifying  glass. 

"It's  positively  funny,"  he  murmured,  laughing  a  lit 
tle  to  himself,  "but  I  know  something  about  this  coun- 


176  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

try  over  here.  Here's  Ardsley,  in  the  far  corner  of  Dil 
well  County,  and  here's  Kildare." 

"Yes;  I  understand  maps.  Dilwell  is  green,  and 
there's  the  state  line,  and  that  ugly  watery  sort  of  yel 
low  is  Mingo  County,  South  Carolina,  and  Turner  Court 
House  is  the  county  seat  of  it.  Those  little  black  marks 
are  hills  on  the  border,  and  it's  right  there  that  these 
Appleweight  people  live,  and  dance  on  the  state  line  as 
though  it  were  a  skipping-rope." 

"That's  exactly  it.  Now  what  we  want  to  do  is  to 
arrest  Appleweight  and  put  him  in  jail  in  South  Caro 
lina,  which  relieves  the  governor  of  North  Carolina, 
your  honored  father,  of  all  embarrassment." 

She  snatched  the  paper-cutter  and  took  possession  of 
the  map  for  a  moment,  then  pointed,  with  a  happy  little 
laugh. 

"Why,  that  will  be  only  too  easy.  You  see  there's 
Azbell  County,  where  the  militia  is  encamped,  just  three 
counties  away  from  Dilwell,  and  if  we  needed  the  sol 
diers  it  wouldn't  hurt  the  troops  to  march  that  far, 
would  it?" 

"Hurt  them,  nothing !"  exclaimed  Ardmore.  "It  will 
be  good  for  them.  You  have  to  give  orders  to  the 
adjutant-general,  and,  being  engaged  to  him,  he  would 


THE   LABORS    OF   MR.   ARDMORE       177 

be  afraid  not  to  obey  your  orders,  even  if  you  told  him 
to  go  in  balloons/' 

"Well,  of  course,  I'd  send  him  an  official  order;  and  if 
he  was  disobedient  I  could  break  our  engagement.  When 
I  broke  my  engagement  with  Arthur  Treadmeasure,  it 
was  only  because  he  was  five  minutes  late  coming  to  take 
me  to  a  dance/' 

"Yon  were  perfectly  right,  Miss  Dangerfield.  No 
gentleman  would  keep  you  waiting." 

"But  he  didn't  keep  me  waiting!  I  was  sick  in  bed 
with  a  sore  throat,  and  mama  wouldn't  let  me  go;  but 
I  thought  it  was  very  careless  and  taking  too  much  for 
granted  for  him  to  think  he  could  come  poking  along 
any  time  he  pleased,  so  I  ended  everything." 

It  would  have  interested  Ardmore  to  know  the  total 
of  Miss  Dangerfield's  engagements,  but  the  time  did  not 
seem  propitious  for  such  inquiries;  and,  moreover,  his 
awe  of  her  as  a  young  person  of  great  determination  and 
force  of  character  increased.  She  spoke  of  employing 
the  armed  forces  of  the  state  as  though  playing  with  the 
militia  were  a  cheerful  pastime,  like  horseback  riding  or 
tennis.  His  heart  sank  as  he  foresaw  the  possibility  of 
the  gallant  Gillingwater  coming  out  of  the  Appleweight 
affair  with  flying  colors,  a  hero  knighted  on  the  field 


178  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDAEE 

for  valor.  The  remembrance  of  Gillingwater  receiving 
the  salutes  of  the  militia  and  riding  off  to  the  wars  to 
the  beat  of  drums  had  deprived  Ardmore  of  sleep  all 
night. 

"Well,  there's  the  map,  and  there's  that  insulting  tele 
gram  ;  what  are  you  going  to  do  about  it  ?"  asked  Jerry. 

She  seemed  to  be  honestly  inviting  suggestions,  and 
the  very  thought  of  this  affected  him  like  wine.  He  de 
liberated  for  several  minutes,  while  she  watched  him. 
A  delicious  country  quiet  lay  upon  the  old  state  house ; 
in  the  tranquil  park  outside  the  birds  whistled  their 
high  disdain  of  law  and  precedent.  It  was  no  small  thing 
to  be  identified  with  a  great  undertaking  like  this,  with 
the  finest  girl  in  the  world;  and  he  could  not  help 
thinking  of  the  joy  of  telling  Griswold,  the  sober  pro 
fessor  and  sedate  lawyer,  of  this  adventure  when  it 
should  be  happily  concluded.  Never  again  should 
Grissy  taunt  him  with  his  supineness  before  the  open 
door  of  opportunity ! 

"A  governor,"  he  began,  "is  always  a  dignified  per 
son  who  doesn't  bother  his  head  about  little  things  liko 
this  unless  everybody  else  has  gone  to  sleep.  Now,  who's 
the  chief  of  police  in  a  county  like  Dilwell — what  do 
you  call  him?" 


THE    LABORS    OF    MR,   ARDMORE       179 

"Do  you  mean  the  sheriff,  Mr.  Ardmore  ?" 
"Certainly.     Now,  give  me  those  telegraph  blanks, 
and  I'll  drop  him  a  few  lines  to  let  him  know  that  the 
government  at  Raleigh  still  lives." 

It  is  in  the  telegram  alone  that  we  Americans  ap 
proach  style.  Our  great  commanders  did  much  to  form 
it;  our  business  strategists  took  the  key  from  them.  "I 
propose  to  fight  it  out  on  this  line,  if  it  takes  all  sum 
mer"  is  not  more  admirable  than  "Cancel  order  our  num 
ber  six  hundred  and  eighteen/'  or  "Have  drawn  at 
sight."  Through  the  most  familiar  and  commonplace 
apparatus  clicks  and  ticks  the  great  American  epic  in 
phrases  concise,  unequivocal  and  apt.  Von  Moltkey 
roused  at  night  with  news  of  war,  merely  waved  his  hand ' 
to  the  long-prepared  orders  in  his  chiffonier  and  went  to 
sleep  again ;  but  the  great  Prussian  has  his  counterpart 
in  the  American  magnate  who  ties  up  a  railroad  by  tele 
graph  over  his  after-dinner  coffee.  Telegrams  were,  how 
ever,  with  Mr.  Thomas  Ardmore,  something  more  than  a 
form  of  communication  or  a  mere  literary  exercise.  Let 
ter-writing  seemed  to  him  the  most  formidable  of  human 
undertakings,  but  with  a  pad  of  telegraph  blanks  under 
his  hand  his  spirit  soared  free.  All  untrammeled  by  the 
horror  of  the  day  tariff,  whose  steep  slopes  have  wrought 


180  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

so  much  confusion  and  error  among  the  economical,  he 
gave  to  the  wires  and  the  wireless  what  he  never  would 
have  confided  to  a  stamp.  He  wrote  and  submitted  to 
Miss  Jerry  Dangerfield  the  following : 

To  the  Sheriff  of  Dilwell  County, 

Kildare,  N.  C.: 

What  is  this  I  hear  about  your  inability  to  catch  Apple- 
weight  and  the  rest  of  his  bunch?  Your  inattention  to  your 
duties  is  a  matter  of  common  scandal,  and  if  you  don't  get 
anxious  pretty  soon  I  shall  remove  you  from  your  job  and 
then  some.  I  shall  be  down  soon  to  see  whether  you  are 
pitching  quoits  at  the  blacksmith  shop  or  fishing  for  lob 
sters  in  Raccoon  Creek,  instead  of  attending  to  your  knit 
ting.  Your  conduct  has  annoyed  me  until  I  am  something 
more  than  vexed  by  your  behavior.  The  eyes  of  the  great 
North  State  are  upon  you.  Wire  me  at  length  just  what 
you  propose  doing  or  not  doing  in  this  matter. 

WILLIAM  DANGERFIELD, 
Governor  of  North  Carolina. 

"What  do  you  think  of  that  ?"  he  asked,  his  pride  fall 
ing  as  she  scanned  the  paper  carefully. 

"Isn't  it  pretty  expensive?"  Jerry  inquired,  counting 
the  words  to  ten  and  then  roughly  computing  the  rest. 

"I'll  take  care  of  that,  Miss  Dangerfield.  What  I 
want  to  know  is  whether  you  think  that  will  make  the 
sheriff  sit  up." 

"Well,  here's  what  father  sent  him  only  about  a  week 


THE    LABOES    OF   MR.   ARDMORE       181 

ago.     I  found  it  in  his  private  letter  book,  and  it's 
marked  confidential  in  red  ink." 
She  read: 

"  'Act  cautiously  in  Appleweight  case.  Indictment  by 
grand  jury  is  undoubtedly  faulty  and  Foster  threatens 
trouble  in  case  parties  are  arrested.' 

"And  there's  more  like  that !  Papa  never  intended  to 
do  anything,  that's  as  plain  as  daylight.  Mr.  Foster,  the 
treasurer,  comes  from  that  county.  He  thought  papa 
was  going  to  have  to  do  something,  so  he's  holding  back 
the  payment  of  the  state  bonds  just  to  frighten  papa. 
You  see,  the  state  owes  the  Bronx  Loan,  and  Trust  Com 
pany  that  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars,  and  if 
it  isn't  paid  June  first  the  state  will  be  everlastingly  dis 
graced." 

"Oh,  yes;  I'd  forgotten  about  that." 

"I  don't  see  how  you  could  forget  about  it.  That  must 
be  almost  as  much  money  as  there  is  in  the  world,  Mr. 
Ardmore." 

"We've  got  to  raise  it,  anyhow,  even  if  we  go  to  the 
pawn-shop.  I  pawned  my  watch  once  when  I  was  in 
college  and  Billings — he  was  my  guardian — had  shut 
me  off.  Grissy — he's  my  friend — Grissy  says  pawnbrok- 
ing  is  only  a  more  vulgar  form  of  banking.  There  was 


182  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDAEE 

a  fellow  in  my  class  at  college  who  pawned  his  pawn 
ticket  to  get  money  to  pay  his  laundress,  and  then  gave 
the  new  ticket  to  a  poor  blind  man.  He's  a  big  man  in 
Wall  Street — has  a  real  genius  for  finance,  they  say. 
But  please  don't  worry  about  this  rascal  Foster.  We'll 
put  some  digitalis  into  the  state's  credit  when  the  time 
comes." 

"I  think  your  telegram  to  the  sheriff  is  all  right," 
said  Jerry,  reading  it  again.  "If  you'll  go  to  the  door 
and  whistle  for  the  messenger  we'll  get  it  off.  I'll  sign 
it  with  the  rubber  stamp.  Papa  hardly  ever  signs  any 
thing  himself;  he  says  if  you  don't  sign  documents 
yourself  you  can  always  repudiate  them  afterward,  and 
papa's  given  prayerful  thought  to  all  such  things." 

Ardmore  addressed  himself  once  more  to  the  map.  It 
was  clear  that  the  Appleweight  gang  was  powerful 
enough  to  topple  great  states  upon  their  foundations. 
It  had,  to  Ardmore's  own  knowledge,  driven  a  governor 
into  exile,  and  through  the  wretched  Foster,  who  was 
their  friend,  the  credit  of  the  state  was  gravely  menaced. 
The  possibilities  of  the  game  fascinated  Ardmore.  He 
was  eager  for  action  on  the  scene  of  this  usurpation  and 
defiance.  Responsibility,  for  the  first  time,  had  placed 


THE   LABORS    OF   MR.   ARDMORE       183 

a  warrant  of  trust  in  his  hands,  and,  thus  commissioned, 
the  spurs  of  duty  pricked  his  sides. 

"I'll  wait  for  the  sheriff's  answer,  and  if  he  shows  no 
signs  of  life  I'll  go  down  there  this  afternoon." 

"Then  you  will  undoubtedly  be  shot !"  Jerry  declared, 
as  though  announcing  a  prospect  not  wholly  deplorable. 

"That  has  its  disagreeable  side,  but  a  great  many 
people  have  to  be  shot  every  year  to  keep  up  the  average, 
and  if  the  statistics  need  me  I  won't  duck.  I'll  call  up 
my  man  on  the  telephone  this  forenoon  and  tell  him  to 
put  my  forester  at  Ardsley  to  work.  He's  a  big  fellow 
who  served  in  the  German  army,  and  if  he's  afraid  of 
anything  I  haven't  heard  of  it.  If  we  can  drive  the 
gang  into  South  Carolina,  right  along  here,  you  see" — 
and  Miss  Dangerlield  bent  her  pretty  head  over  the  map 
and  saw — "if  we  can  pass  the  chief  outlaw  on  to  Gov 
ernor  Osborne,  then  so  much  the  better,  and  that's  what 
we  will  try  to  do." 

"But  you're  only  the  private  secretary,  and  you  can't 
assume  too  much  authority.  I  shall  have  to  go  to  Kil- 
dare  to  visit  my  aunt,  who  is  a  nice  old  lady  that  lives 
there.  The  fried  corn  mush  and  syrup  at  her  house  is 
the  best  I  ever  tasted,  and  if  papa  should  come  when  he 


184  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

sees  that  something  is  being  done  quite  different  from 
what  he  intended,  then  I  should  be  there  to  explain.  If 
you  should  be  killed,  Mr.  Ardmore,  no  one  would  be 
there  to  identify  you,  and  I  have  always  thought  it  the 
saddest  thing  in  the  world  for  any  one  to  die  away  from 
home — " 

"It  would  be  sad ;  but  I  hope  you  would  be  sorry." 

"I  should  regret  your  death,  and  I'd  make  them  give 
you  a  perfectly  beautiful  military  funeral,  with  Chopin's 
funeral  march,  and  your  boots  tied  to  the  saddle  of  your 
horse/' 

"But  don't  let  them  fuss  about  pulling  off  the  boots, 
Miss  Dangerfield,  if  I  die  with  them  on.  It  would  be 
all  right  for  you  to  visit  your  aunt,  but  I  shouldn't  do 
it  if  I  were  you.  I  once  visited  my  aunt,  Mrs.  Coving- 
ton-Burns,  at  Newport  for  a  week.  It  was  a  deep  game 
to  get  me  to  marry  my  aunt's  husband's  niece,  whose 
father  had  lost  his  money,  and  the  girl  was  beginning  to 
bore  my  aunt." 

"Was  she  a  pretty  girl  ?"  asked  Jerry. 

"She  was  a  whole  basket  of  peaches,  and  I  might  have 
married  her  to  get  away  from  my  aunt  if  it  were  not 
that  I  have  made  it  a  life-long  rule  never  to  marry  the 


THE    LABORS    OF    MR.   ARDMORE       185 

orphaned  nieces  of  the  husbands  of  my  aunts.  It's  been 
a  good  rule  to  me,  and  has  saved  me  no  end  of  trouble. 
But  if  my  sister  doesn't  change  her  mind,  and  if  she 
really  comes  through  Raleigh  to-day  in  her  car  with 
those  friends  of  hers,  she  will  be  delighted  to  have  you 
join  her  for  a  visit  at  Ardsley.  And  then  you  would  be 
near  at  hand  in  case  some  special  edict  from  the  gov 
ernor  seemed  necessary." 

"But  wouldn't  your  sister  think  it  strange — " 
"Not  in  the  least,  Miss  Dangerfield.  Nothing  is 
strange  to  my  sister.  Nobody  ever  sprang  a  surprise  on 
Nellie  yet.  And  besides,  you  are  the  daughter  of  the 
governor  of  a  great  state.  She  refuses  to  meet  senators, 
because  you  can  never  be  sure  they  are  respectable,  but 
she  rather  prides  herself  on  knowing  governors.  Gov 
ernors  are  very  different.  Since  I  read  the  constitution 
I  can  see  very  plainly  that  governors  are  much  nearer 
the  people,  but  I  guess  the  senators  are  nearer  the 
banks." 

"Well,  I  have  some  shopping  to  do,  and  it's  ten 
o'clock.  It  would  be  hospitable  to  ask  you  to  luncheon, 
but  mama  cries  so  much  because  she  doesn't  know  where 
papa  is  that  our  meals  at  the  executive  mansion  are  not 


186  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

exactly  cheerful  functions.  And  besides" — and  she 
eyed  Ardmore  severely  as  she  rose  and  accepted  her 
parasol  from  him — "and  besides,  you  know  our  relations 
are  purely  official.  You  have  never  been  introduced  to 
me,  and  socially  you  are  not  known  to  us." 


CHAPTER   IX 

THE  LAND   OF   THE  LITTLE  BROWN   JUG 

Caboose  0186,  with  three  box-cars  and  a  locomotive 
attached,  lay  in  the  southeastern  yards  at  Raleigh  late  in 
the  evening  of  the  same  day.  In  the  observatory  sat  Mr. 
Thomas  Ardmore,  chatting  with  the  conductor,  while 
they  waited  for  the  right  of  way.  Mr.  Ardmore's 
pockets  were  filled  with  papers,  and  he  held  half  a  dozen 
telegrams  in  his  hand.  The  freight  cars  behind  him 
were  locked  and  sealed,  and  a  number  of  men  lounging 
near  appeared  to  be  watching  them. 

The  reply  of  the  sheriff  of  Dilwell  County  had  pre 
cipitated  the  crisis.  That  official  succinctly  replied  to 
Ardmore's  message: 

Be  good  and  acquire  grace. 

While  this  dictum  had  aroused  Miss  Dangerfield's 
wrath  and  indignation,  it  calmed  her  fellow  conspirator, 
and  for  hours  Ardmore  had  poured  forth  orders  by 
telegraph  and  telephone.  No  such  messages  as  his 

187 


188  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

had  ever  before  radiated  from  Raleigh.  The  tolls 
would  have  bankrupted  the  commonwealth  if  Ardmore 
had  not  cared  for  them  out  of  his  private  purse.  His  for 
ester,  with  an  armed  posse  from  Ardsley,  was  already 
following  the  streams  and  beating  the  brush  in  search 
of  Appleweight.  One  car  of  Ardmore's  special  train 
contained  a  machine  gun  and  a  supply  of  rifles ;  another 
abundant  ammunition  and  commissary  supplies,  and  the 
third  cots  and  bags.  The  men  who  loafed  about  the 
train  were  a  detail  of  strike-breakers  from  a  detective 
agency,  borrowed  for  the  occasion.  Cooke,  the  conductor 
of  the  train,  had  formerly  been  in  the  government  secret 
service,  and  knew  the  Carolina  hill  country  as  he  knew 
the  palm  of  his  hand.  Ardmore  had  warned  his  man 
ager  and  the  housekeeper  on  his  estate  to  prepare  for  the 
arrival  of  Mrs.  Atchison,  whose  private  car  had  come 
and  gone,  carrying  Miss  Geraldine  Dangerfield  on  to 
Ardsley.  Ardmore  had  just  received  a  message  from  his 
sister  at  some  way  station,  reporting  all  well  and 
containing  these  sentences:  "She  is  rather  different, 
and  I  do  not  quite  make  her  out.  She  has  our  noble 
brother-in-law  a  good  deal  bewildered." 

Cooke  ran  forward  for  a  colloquy  with  the  engineer 
over  their  orders;  the  guards  climbed  into  one  of  the 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG   189 

box-cars,  and  the  train  moved  slowly  out  of  the  Ealeigh 
yards  to  the  main  line  and  rattled  away  toward  Kildare, 
with  Mr.  Ardmore,  pipe  in  mouth,  perched  in  the  ca 
boose  cupola. 

A  caboose,  you  may  not  know,  is  the  pleasantest  place 
in  the  world  to  ride.  Essentially  a  thing  of  utility,  it 
is  not  less  the  vehicle  of  joy.  Neither  the  captain  of  a 
trading  schooner  nor  the  admiral  of  a  canal  fleet  is  more 
sublimely  autocratic  than,  the  freight  conductor  in  his 
watch-tower.  The  landscape  is  disclosed  to  him  in  lei 
surely  panoramas ;  the  springs  beneath  are  not  so  lulling 
as  to  dull  his  senses.  If  he  isn't  whipped  into  the  ditch 
by  the  humor  of  the  engineer,  or  run  down  and  tele 
scoped  by  an  enemy  from  behind,  he  may  ultimately 
deliver  his  somber  fleet  to  its  several  destinations;  but 
he  is  the  slave  of  no  inexorable  time-table,  and  his  ex 
cuses  are  as  various  as  his  cargoes. 

Not  Captain  Kidd  nor  another  of  the  dark  brother 
hood  sailed  forth  with  keener  zest  for  battle  than  Mr. 
Ardmore.  Indeed,  the  trailing  smoke  of  the  locomotive 
suggested  a  black  flag,  and  the  thought  of  it  tickled  his 
fancy.  Above  bent  the  bluest  sky  in  the  world;  fields 
of  corn  and  cotton,  the  brilliant  crimson  of  German 
clover,  and  long  stretches  of  mixed  forest  held  him  wi  hli 


190  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

enchantment.  In  a  cornfield  a  girl  plowing  with  a 
single  steer — a  little  girl  in  a  sunbonnet,  who  reached 
wearily  up  to  the  plow  handles — paused  and  waved  to 
him,  and  he  knew  the  delight  of  the  lonely  mariner 
when  a  passing  ship  speaks  to  him  with  flags.  And 
when  night  came,  after  the  long  mystical  twilight,  the 
train  passed  now  and  then  great  cotton  factories  that 
blazed  out  from  their  thousand  windows  like  huge 
steamships. 

When  they  sought  a  lonely  siding  to  allow  a  belated 
passenger  train  to  pass,  the  conductor  brewed  coffee  and 
cooked  supper,  and  Ardmore  called  in  the  detectives 
and  trainmen.  The  sense  of  knowing  real  people,  whose 
daily  occupations  were  so  novel  and  interesting,  touched 
him  afresh  with  delight.  These  men  said  much  in  few 
words.  The  taciturnity  of  Cooke,  the  conductor,  in 
particular,  struck  Ardmore  as  very  fine,  and  it  occurred 
to  him  that  very  likely  men  who  have  had  the  fun  of 
doing  things  never  talk  of  their  performances  after 
ward.  One  of  the  detectives  chaffed  Cooke  covertly  about 
some  adventure  in  which  they  had  been  jointly  asso 
ciated. 

"I  never  thought  they'd  get  the  lead  out  of  you  after 
that  business  in  Missouri.  You  were  a  regular  mine," 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG    191 

said  the  detective  to  Cooke,  and  Cooke  glanced  depre- 
catingly  at  Ardmore. 

"He's  the  little  joker,  all  right/' 

"You  can't  kill  him,"  remarked  the  detective.  "I've 
seen  it  tried." 

Before  the  train  started  the  detectives  crawled  back 
into  their  car,  and  Cooke  drew  out  some  blankets,  tossed 
them  on  a  bench  for  Ardmore,  and  threw  himself  down 
without  ado.  Ardmore  held  to  his  post  in  the  tower,  as 
lone  as  the  lookout  in  a  crow's-nest.  The  night  air 
swept  more  coolly  in  as  they  neared  the  hills,  and  the 
train's  single  brakeman  came  down  as  though  descend 
ing  from  the  sky,  rubbed  the  cinders  from  his  eyes,  and 
returned  to  his  vigil  armed  with  a  handful  of  Ardmore's 
cigars. 

For  the  greater  part  of  the  night  they  enjoyed  a  free 
track,  and  thumped  the  rails  at  a  lively  clip.  Shortly 
after  midnight  Ardmore  crawled  below  and  went  to 
sleep.  At  five  o'clock  Cooke  called  him. 

"We're  on  the  switch  at  Kildare.  One  of  your  men  is 
here  waiting  for  you." 

Big  Paul,  the  German  forester,  was  called  in,  and 
Ardmore  made  his  toilet  in  a  pail  of  water  while  listen 
ing  to  the  big  fellow's  report.  Cooke  joined  in  the  con- 


192  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

versation,  and  Ardmore  was  gratified  to  see  that  the 
two  men  met  on  common  ground  in  discussing  the  local 
geography.  The  forester  described  in  clear,  straight 
forward  English  just  what  he  had  done.  He  had  dis 
tributed  his  men  well  through  the  hills,  and  they  were 
now  posted  as  pickets  on  points  favorable  for  observa 
tion.  They  had  found  along  the  streams  four  widely 
scattered  stills,  and  these  were  being  watched.  Paul 
drew  a  small  map,  showing  the  homes  of  the  most  active 
members  of  the  Appleweight  gang,  and  Ardmore  indi 
cated  all  these  points  as  nearly  as  possible  on  the  county 
map  he  had  brought  with  him. 

"Here's  Raccoon  Creek,  and  my  own  land  runs  right 
through  there — just  about  here,  isn't  it,  Paul  ?  I  always 
remember  the  creek,  because  I  like  the  name  so  much." 

"You  are  right,  Mr.  Ardmore.  The  best  timber  you 
have  lies  along  there,  and  your  land  crosses  the  North 
Carolina  boundary  into  South  Carolina  about  here. 
There's  Mingo  County,  South  Carolina,  you  see." 

"Well,  that  dashes  me  I"  exclaimed  Ardmore,  striking 
the  table  with  his  fist.  "I  never  knew  one  state  from 
another,  but  you  must  be  right." 

"I'm  positive  of  it,  Mr.  Ardmore.  One  of  my  men 
has  been  living  there  on  the  creek  to  protect  your  tim- 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG   193 

her.  Some  of  these  outlaws  have  been  cutting  off  our 
wood." 

"It  seems  to  me  I  remember  the  place.  There's  a  log 
house  hanging  on  the  creek.  You  took  me  by  it  once, 
but  it  never  entered  my  head  that  the  state  line  was  so 
close." 

"It  runs  right  through  the  house!  And  some  one, 
years  ago,  blazed  the  trees  along  there,  so  it  is  very 
easy  to  tell  when  you  step  from  one  state  to  another. 
My  man  left  there  recently,  refusing  to  stay  any  longer. 
These  Appleweight  people  thought  he  was  a  spy,  and 
posted  a  notice  on  his  door  warning  him  to  leave,  so  I 
shifted  him  to  the  other  end  of  the  estate." 

"Did  you  see  the  sheriff  at  Kildare?" 

"I  haven't  seen  him.  When  I  asked  for  him  yester 
day  I  found  he  had  left  town  and  gone  to  Greensboro  to 
see  his  sick  uncle." 

Ardmore  laughed  and  slapped  his  knee. 

"Who  takes  care  of  the  dungeon  while  he's  away?" 

"There  are  no  prisoners  in  the  Kildare  jail.  The 
sheriff's  afraid  to  keep  any ;  and  he's  like  the  rest  of  the 
people  around  here.  They  all  live  in  terror  of  Apple- 
weight." 

"Appleweight  is  a  powerful  character  in  these  parts," 


194  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

said  Cooke,  pouring  the  coffee  he  had  been  making,  and 
handing  a  tin  cupful  to  Ardmore.  "He's  tolerable  well 
off,  and  could  make  money  honestly  if  he  didn't  operate 
stills,  rob  country  stores,  mix  up  in  politics,  and  steal 
horses  when  he  and  his  friends  need  them." 

"I  guess  he  has  never  molested  us  any,  has  he,  Paul  ?" 
asked  Ardmore,  not  a  little  ashamed  of  his  ignorance  of 
his  own  business. 

"A  few  of  our  cows  stray  away  sometimes  and  never 
come  back.  And  for  two  years  we  have  lost  the  corn 
out  of  the  crib  away  over  here  near  the  deer  park."' 

"They've  got  the  juice  out  of  it  before  this,"  remarked 
Cooke. 

"That  would  be  nice  for  me,  wouldn't  it?"  said  Ard 
more,  grinning — "to  be  arrested  for  running  a  still  on 
my  place." 

"We  don't  want  to  lose  our  right  to  the  track,  and  we 
must  get  out  of  this  before  the  whole  community  comes 
to  take  a  look  at  us,"  said  Cooke,  swinging  out  of  the 
caboose. 

Ardmore  talked  frankly  to  the  forester,  having  con 
stant  recourse  to  the  map ;  and  Paul  sketched  roughly  a 
new  chart,  marking  roads  and  paths  so  far  as  he  knew 
them,  and  indicating  clearly  where  the  Ardsley  boun- 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG   195 

daries  extended.  Then  Ardmore  took  a  blue  pencil  and 
drew  a  straight  line. 

"When  we  get  Appleweight,  we  want  to  hurry  him 
from  Dilwell  County,  North  Carolina,  into  Mingo 
County,  South  Carolina.  We  will  go  to  the  county 
town  there,  and  put  him  in  jail.  If  the  sheriff  of  Mingo 
is  weak-kneed,  we  will  lock  Appleweight  up  anyhow, 
and  telegraph  the  governor  of  South  Carolina  that  the 
joke  is  on  him." 

"We  will  catch  the  man,"  said  Paul  gravely,  "but  we 
may  have  to  kill  him/' 

"Dead  or  alive,  he's  got  to  be  caught,"  said  Ardrnore, 
and  the  big  forester  stared  at  his  employer  a  little  oddly ; 
for  this  lord  proprietor  had  not  been  known  to  his  em 
ployees  and  tenants  as  a  serious  character,  but  rather  as 
an  indolent  person  who,  when  he  visited  his  estate  in 
the  hills,  locked  himself  up  unaccountably  in  his  library 
and  rarely  had  the  energy  to  stir  up  the  game  in  his 
broad  preserves. 

"Certainly,  sir ;  dead  or  alive,"  Paul  repeated. 

Cooke  came  out  of  the  station  and  signaled  the  en 
gineer  to  go  ahead. 

"We'll  pull  down  here  about  five  miles  to  an  old 
spur  where  the  company  used  to  load  wood.  There's  a 


196  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

little  valley  there  where  we  can  be  hidden  all  we  please, 
so  far  as  the  main  line  is  concerned,  and  it  might  not 
be  a  bad  idea  to  establish  headquarters  there.  We  have 
the  tools  for  cutting  in  on  the  telegraph,  and  we  can  be 
as  independent  as  we  please.  I  told  the  agent  we  were 
carrying  company  powder  for  a  blasting  job  down  the 
line,  and  he  suspects  nothing." 

Paul  left  the  caboose  as  the  train  started,  and  rode 
away  on  horseback  to  visit  his  pickets.  The  train  crept 
warily  over  the  spur  into  the  old  wood-cutters'  camp, 
where,  as  Cooke  had  forecast,  they  were  quite  shut  in 
from  the  main  line  by  hills  and  woodland. 

"And  now,  Mr.  Ardmore,  if  you  would  like  to  see 
fire-water  spring  out  of  the  earth  as  freely  as  spring 
water,  come  with  me  for  a  little  stroll.  The  thirsty  of 
Dilwell  County  know  the  way  to  these  places  as  city 
topers  know  the  way  to  a  bar.  We  are  now  in  the  land 
of  the  little  brown  jug,  and  while  these  boys  get  break 
fast  I'll  see  if  the  people  in  this  region  have  changed 
their  habits." 

It  was  not  yet  seven  as  they  struck  off  into  the  forest 
beside  the  cheerful  little  brook  that  came  down  singing 
from  the  hills.  Ardmore  had  rarely  before  in  his  life 
been  abroad  so  early,  and  he  kicked  the  dew  from  the 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG   197 

grass  in  the  cheerfullest  spirit  imaginable.  Within  a 
few  days  he  had  reared  a  pyramid  of  noble  resolutions. 
Life  at  last  entertained  him.  The  way  of  men  of  action 
had  been  as  fabulous  to  him  as  the  dew  that  now 
twinkled  before  him.  Griswold  knew  books,  but  here  at 
his  side  strode  a  man  who  knew  far  more  amazing  things 
than  were  written  in  any  book.  Cooke  had  not  been  in 
this  region  for  seven  years,  and  yet  he  never  hesitated, 
but  walked  steadily  on,  following  the  little  brook. 
Presently  he  bent  over  the  bank  and  gathered  up  a 
brownish  substance  that  floated  on  the  water,  lifted  a 
little  of  it  in  his  palm  and  sniffed  it. 

"That,"  said  Cooke,  holding  it  to  Ardmore's  nose,  "is 
corn  mash.  That's  what  they  make  their  liquor  out  of. 
The  still  is  probably  away  up  yonder  on  that  hillside. 
It  seems  to  me  that  we  smashed  one  there  once  when  I 
was  in  the  service ;  and  over  there,  about  a  mile  beyond 
that  pine  tree,  where  you  see  the  hawk  circling,  three  of 
us  got  into  a  mix-up,  and  one  of  our  boys  was  killed." 

He  crossed  the  stream  on  a  log,  climbed  the  bank  on 
the  opposite  shore,  and  scanned  the  near  landscape  for  a 
few  minutes.  Then  he  pointed  to  an  old  stump  over 
which  vines  had  grown  in  wild  profusion. 

"If  you  will  walk  to  that  stump,  Mr.  Ardmore,  and 


198  THE  LITTLE  BROW^  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

feel  under  the  vines  on  the  right-hand  side,  your  fingers 
will  very  likely  touch  something  smooth  and  cool." 

Ardmore  obeyed  instructions.  He  thrust  his  hand 
into  the  stump  as  Cooke  directed,  thrust  again  a  little 
deeper,  and  laughed  aloud  as  he  drew  out  a  little  brown 

jug- 

Cooke  nodded  approvingly. 

"We're  all  right.  The  revenue  men  come  in  here 
occasionally  and  smash  the  stills  and  arrest  a  few  men, 
but  the  little  brown  jug  continues  to  do  business  at  the 
same  old  stand.  They  don't  even  change  the  hiding- 
places.  And  while  we  stand  here,  you  may  be  pretty 
sure  that  a  freckled-faced,  tow-headed  boy  or  girl  is 
watching  us  off  yonder,  and  that  the  word  will  pass  all 
through  the  hills  before  noon  that  there  are  strangers 
abroad  in  old  Dilwell.  If  you  have  a  dollar  handy,  slip 
it  under  the  stump,  so  they'll  know  we're  not  stingy." 

Ardmore  was  scrutinizing  the  jug  critically. 

"They're  all  alike,"  said  Cooke,  "but  that  piece  of 
calico  is  a  new  one — just  a  fancy  touch  for  an  extra  fine 
article  of  liquor." 

"I'll  be  shot  if  I  haven't  seen  that  calico  before,"  said 
Ardmore;  and  he  sat  down  on  a  boulder  and  drew  out 
the  stopper,  while  Cooke  watched  him  with  interest. 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG   199 

The  bit  of  twine  was  indubitably  the  same  that  he  had 
unwound  before  in  his  room  at  the  Guilford  House,,  and 
the  cob  parted  in  his  fingers  exactly  as  before.  On  a 
piece  of  brown  paper  that  had  been  part  of  a  tobacco 
wrapper  was  scrawled : 

This  ain't  yore  fight,  Mr.  Ardmore.  Wher's  the  guvner 
of  North  Carolina? 

"That's  a  new  one  on  me/'  laughed  Cooke.  "You  see, 
they  know  everything.  Mind-reading  isn't  in  it  with 
them.  They  know  who  we  are  and  what  we  have  come 
for.  What's  the  point  about  the  governor?" 

"Oh,  the  governor's  all  right,"  replied  Ardmore  care 
lessly.  "He  wouldn't  bother  his  head  about  a  little 
matter  like  this.  The  powers  reserved  to  the  states  by 
the  constitution  give  a  governor  plenty  of  work  without 
acting  as  policeman  of  the  jungle.  That's  the  reason  I 
said  to  Governor  Dangerfield,  'Governor/  I  said,  'don't 
worry  about  this  Appleweight  business.  Time  is  heavy 
on  my  hands/  I  said.  'You  stay  in  Raleigh  and  uphold 
the  dignity  of  your  office,  and  I  will  take  care  of  the 
trouble  in  Dilwell.'  And  you  can't  understand,  Cooke, 
how  his  face  brightened  at  my  words.  Being  the  brave 
man  he  is,  you  would  naturally  expect  him  to  come 


200  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

down  here  in  person  and  seize  these  scoundrels  with  his 
own  hands.  I  had  the  hardest  time  of  my  life  to  get  him 
to  stay  at  home.  It  almost  broke  his  heart  not  to  come." 
And  as  they  retraced  their  steps  to  the  caboose,  it  was 
Ardmore  who  led,  stepping  briskly  along,  and  blithely 
swinging  the  jug. 


CHAPTER   X 

PROFESSOR  GRISWOLD   TAKES   THE   FIELD 

Barbara  and  Griswold  stopped  at  the  telegraph  office 
on  their  way  back  to  the  executive  mansion,  and  were 
met  with  news  that  the  sheriff  of  Mingo  had  refused  to 
receive  Griswold's  message. 

"His  private  lines  of  communication  with  the  capital 
are  doubtless  well  established/'  said  Griswold,  "and 
Bosworth  probably  warned  him.,  but  it  isn't  of  great  im 
portance.  It's  just  as  well  for  Appleweight  and  his 
friends,  high  and  low,  to  show  their  hands." 

When  they  were  again  on  the  veranda,  Griswold  lin 
gered  for  a  moment  with  no  valid  excuse  for  delay 
beyond  the  loveliness  of  the  night  and  his  keen  delight 
in  Barbara's  voice  and  her  occasional  low  laughter, 
which  was  so  pleasant  to  hear  that  he  held  their  talk 
to  a  light  key,  that  he  might  evoke  it  the  more.  Pro 
fessor  Griswold's  last  flirtation  was  now  so  remote  that 
he  would  have  been  hard  put  to  say  whether  the  long- 
departed  goddess'  name  had  been  Evelyn  or  Laura.  He 

201 


202  THE  LITTLE  BROWX  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

had  so  thoroughly  surrendered  himself  to  the  exactions 
of  the  law  that  love  and  marriage  held  small  place  in 
his  speculations  of  the  future.  He  had  heard  himself 
called  a  bachelor  professor  with  the  humorous  tolerance 
of  one  who  is  pretty  sure  of  himself,  and  who  is  not  yet 
reduced  to  the  cynical  experiment  of  peering  beneath 
the  top  layer  of  his  box  of  strawberries  to  find  the  false 
bottom.  He  recalled  the  slender  manuscript  volume  of 
verses  in  his  desk  at  home,  and  he  felt  that  it  would  be 
the  easiest  thing  in  the  world  to  write  a  thousand  songs 
to-night,  beside  which  the  soundest  brief  ever  filed  in 
any  court  would  be  the  silliest  of  literary  twaddle. 

"You  have  done  all  that  could  be  asked  of  you,  Mr. 
Griswold,  and  I  can  not  permit  you  to  remain  longer. 
Father  will  certainly  be  here  to-morrow.  I  assure  you 
that  it  is  not  like  him  to  avoid  his  public  obligations. 
His  absence  is  the  most  unaccountable  thing  that  ever 
happened.  I  have  my  difficulties  here  at  home,  for  since 
my  mother's  death  I  have  had  the  care  of  my  young 
sisters,  and  it  is  not  pleasant  to  have  to  deceive  them." 

"Oh,  but  your  father  isn't  absent!  He  is  officially 
present  and  in  the  saddle,"  laughed  Griswold.  "You 
must  not  admit,  even  to  me,  that  he  is  not  here  in  full 
charge  of  his  office.  And  AS  for  mv  leaving  the  field,  I 


PROFESSOR  GRISWOLD  TAKES  THE  FIELD  203 

have  not  the  slightest  intention  of  going  back  to  Virginia 
until  the  Appleweight  ghost  is  laid,  the  governor  of 
North  Carolina  brought  to  confusion,  and  the  governor 
of  South  Carolina  visibly  present  and  thundering  his 
edicts  again,  so  to  speak,  ex  cathedra.  My  own  affairs 
can  wait,  Miss  Osborne.  My  university  may  go  hang; 
my  clients  may  be  mulcted  in  direst  damages,  but  just 
now  I  am  your  humble  servant,  and  I  shall  not  leave 
your  service  until  my  tasks  are  finished.  I  am  consult 
ing  not  my  duty,  but  my  pleasure.  The  joy  of  having  a 
hand  in  a  little  affair  like  this,  and  of  being  able  to  tell 
my  friend  Tommy  Ardmore  about  it  afterward,  would 
be  sufficient.  Ardmore  will  never  speak  to  me  again  for 
not  inviting  him  to  a  share  in  the  game/' 

He  was  more  buoyant  than  she  had  seen  him,  and  she 
liked  the  note  of  affection  that  crept  into  his  tone  as 
he  spoke  of  his  friend. 

"Ardmore  is  the  most  remarkable  person  alive,"  Gris- 
wold  continued.  "You  remember — I  spoke  of  him  this 
morning.  He  likes  to  play  the  inscrutable  idiot,  and  he 
carries  it  off  pretty  well;  but  underneath  he's  really 
clever.  The  most  amazing  ideas  take  hold  of  him.  You 
never  could  imagine  what  he's  doing  now !  I  met  him 
accidentally  in  Atlanta  the  other  da}',  and  he  was  in 


204  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDAEE 

pursuit  of  a  face — a  girl's  face  that  he  had  seen  from  a 
car  window  for  only  an  instant  on  a  siding  somewhere." 

"He  must  have  a  romantic  temperament,"  suggested 
Barbara. 

"Quite  that.  His  family  have  been  trying  to  marry 
him  off  to  some  one  in  their  own  set  ever  since  I  have 
known  him,  but  he's  extremely  difficult.  One  of  the 
most  remarkable  things  about  him  is  his  amazing  de 
mocracy.  He  owns  a  palace  on  Fifth  Avenue,  but 
rarely  occupies  it,  for  he  says  it  bores  him.  He  has  a 
camp  in  the  Adirondacks,  but  I  have  never  known  him 
to  visit  it.  His  place  in  North  Carolina  pleases  him 
because  there  he  commands  space,  and  no  one  can  crowd 
him  or  introduce  him  to  people  he  doesn't  want  to  meet. 
He  declares  that  the  most  interesting  people  don't  have 
more  than  a  dollar  a  day  to  spend ;  that  the  most  intelli 
gent  and  the  best-looking  girls  in  America  clerk  in  shops 
and  work  in  factories.  A  philanthropic  lady  in  New 
York  supplies  him  every  Christmas  with  a  list  of  names 
of  laundry  girls,  who  seem  to  appeal  particularly  to 
Ardy^s  compassion,  though  he  never  knew  one  in  his 
life,  but  he  admires  them  for  the  zeal  with  which  they 
destroy  buttonholes  and  develop  the  deckle-edge  cuff; 
and  he  has  twenty-dollar  bills  mailed  to  them  quite 


PKOFESSOR  GEISWOLD  TAKES  THE  FIELD  205 

mysteriously,  and  without  any  hint  of  who  Santa  Glaus 
really  is." 

"But  the  girl  he  saw  from  the  car  window — did  she 
also  appeal  to  him  altruistically?" 

"No ;  it  was  with  her  eye.  He  declared  to  me  most 
solemnly  that  the  girl  winked  at  him !" 

Griswold  was  aware  that  Miss  Osborne's  interest  in 
Ardmore  cooled  perceptibly. 

"Oh!"  she  said,  with  that  delightful  intonation  with 
which  a  woman  utterly  extinguishes  a  sister. 

"I  shouldn't  have  told  you  that,"  said  Griswold,  guil 
tily  aware  of  falling  temperature.  "He  is  capable  of 
following  a  winking  eye  at  a  perfectly  respectful  dis 
tance  for  a  hundred  years,  and  of  being  entertained  all 
the  time  by  the  joy  of  pursuit." 

"It  seems  very  unusual,"  said  Barbara,  with  cold 
finality. 

Griswold  remembered  this  talk  as,  the  next  day, 
aboard  the  train  bound  for  Turner  Court  House,  the 
seat  of  Mingo  County,  South  Carolina,  he  pondered  a 
telegram  he  had  received  from  Ardmore.  He  read  and 
re-read  this  message,  chewing  cigars  and  scowling  at 
the  landscape,  and  the  cause  of  his  perturbation  of 
spirit  may  be  roughly  summarized  in  these  words: 


206  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

On  leaving  the  executive  mansion  the  night  before,  he 
had  studied  maps  in  his  room  at  the  Saluda  House,  and 
carefully  planned  his  campaign.  He  had  talked  by  tele 
phone  with  the  prosecuting  attorney  of  Mingo  County, 
and  found  that  official  politely  responsive.  So  much  had 
gone  well.  Then  the  juxtaposition  of  Ardmore's  estate 
to  the  border,  and  the  possible  use  of  the  house  as  head 
quarters,  struck  in  upon  him.  He  would,  after  all, 
generously  take  Ardmore  into  the  game,  and  they  would 
uphold  the  honor  and  dignity  of  the  great  common 
wealth  of  South  Carolina  together.  The  keys  of  all 
Ardmore's  houses  were,  so  to  speak,  in  Griswold's  pocket, 
and  invitations  were  unnecessary  between  them;  yet,  at 
Atlanta  Ardmore  had  made  a  point  of  asking  Griswold 
down  to  help  while  away  the  tedium  of  Mrs.  Atchison's 
house  party,  and  as  a  matter  of  form  Griswold  had 
wired  from  Columbia,  advising  Ardmore  of  his  unex 
pected  descent. 

Even  in  case  Ardmore  should  still  be  abroad  in  pur 
suit  of  the  winking  eye,  the  doors  of  the  huge  house 
would  be  open  to  Griswold,  who  had  entered  there  so 
often  as  the  owner's  familiar  friend.  These  things  he 
pondered  deeply  as  he  read  and  re-read  Ardmore's 
reply  to  his  message,  a  reply  which  was  plainly  enough 


PROFESSOR  GRISWOLD  TAKES  THE  FIELD  207 

dated  at  Ardsley,  but  which,  he  could  not  know,  had 
really  been  written  in  caboose  0186  as  it  lay  on  a  sid 
ing  in  the  southeastern  yards  at  Raledgh,  and  thence 
despatched  to  the  manager  at  Ardsley,  with  instructions 
to  forward  it  as  a  new  message  to  Griswold  at  Columbia. 
The  chilling  words  thus  flung  at  him  were: 


Professor  Henry  Maine  Griswold, 

Saluda  House,  Columbia,  S.  C.: 

I  am  very  sorry,  old  man,  but  I  can  not  take  you  in  just 
now.  Scarlet  fever  is  epidemic  among  my  tenants,  and  I 
could  not  think  of  exposing  you  to  danger.  As  soon  as  the 
accursed  plague  passes  I  want  to  have  you  down. 

ARDMORE. 


An  epidemic  that  closed  the  gates  of  Ardsley  would 
assume  the  proportions  of  a  national  disaster;  for  even 
if  the  great  house  itself  were  quarantined,  there  were 
lodges  and  bungalows  scattered  over  the  domain,  where 
a  host  of  guests  could  be  entertained  in  comfort.  Gris 
wold  reflected  that  the  very  fact  that  he  had  wired  from 
Columbia  must  have  intimated  to  Ardmore  that  his 
friend  was  flying  toward  him,  pursuant  to  the  Atlanta 
invitation.  Griswold  dismissed  a  thousand  speculations 
as  unworthy.  Ardmore  had  never  shown  the  remotest 
trace  of  snobbishness,  and  as  far  as  the  threatened  hon?e 


208  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDABE 

party  was  concerned,  Griswold  knew  Mrs.  Atchison  very 
well,  and  had  been  entertained  at  her  New  York  house. 

The  patronizing  tone  of  the  thing  caused  Griswold  to 
flush  at  every  reading.  If  the  Ardsley  date-line  had  not 
been  so  plainly  written ;  if  the  phraseology  were  not  so 
characteristic,  there  might  be  room  for  doubt ;  but  Ard- 
more — Ardmore,  of  all  men,  had  slapped  him  in  the 
face ! 

But,  scarlet  fever  or  no  scarlet  fever,  the  pursuit  of 
Appleweight  had  precedence  of  private  grievances.  By 
the  time  he  reached  Turner  Court  House  Griswold  had 
dismissed  the  ungraciousness  of  Ardmore,  and  his  jaws 
were  set  with  a  determination  to  perform  the  mission 
intrusted  to  him  by  Barbara  Osborne,  and  to  wait 
until  later  for  an  accounting  with  his  unaccountable 
friend. 

Arrived  at  Turner's,  Griswold  strode  at  once  toward 
the  court  house.  The  contemptuous  rejection  of  his 
message  by  the  sheriff  of  Mingo  had  angered  Griswcld, 
but  he  was  destined  to  feel  even  more  poignant  insolence 
when,  entering  the  sheriff's  office,  a  deputy,  languidly 
posed  as  a  letter  "V"  in  a  swivel-chair,  with  his  feet  on 
the  mantel,  took  a  cob  pipe  from  his  mouth  and  lazily 
answered  Griswold's  importunate  query  with: 


PROFESSOK  GKISWOLD  TAKES  THE  FIELD  209 

"The  sheriff  ain't  hyeh,  sell.  He's  a-visitin'  his  folks 
in  Tennessy." 

"When  will  he  be  back?"  demanded  Griswold,  hot  of 
heart,  but  maintaining  the  icy  tone  that  had  made  him 
so  formidable  in  cross-examination. 

"I  reckon  I  don't  know,  seh." 

"Do  you  know  your  own  name?"  persisted  Griswold 
sweetly. 

"Go  to  hell,  seh,"  replied  the  deputy.  He  reached  for 
a  match,  relighted  his  pipe,  and  carefully  crossed  his 
feet  on  the  mantel-shelf.  The  moment  Griswold's  steps 
died  away  in  the  outer  corridor  the  deputy  rose  and 
busied  himself  so  industriously  with  the  telephone  that 
within  an  hour  all  through  the  Mingo  hills,  and  even 
beyond  the  state  line,  along  lonely  trails,  across  hills 
and  through  valleys,  and  beside  cheery  creeks  and 
brooks,  it  was  known  that  a  strange  man  from  Columbia 
was  in  Mingo  County  looking  for  the  sheriff,  and  Apple- 
weight,  alias  Poteet,  and  his  men  were  everywhere  on 
guard. 

Griswold  liked  the  prosecuting  attorney  on  sight. 
His  name  was  Habersham,  and  he  was  a  youngster  with 
a  clear  and  steady  gray  eye.  Instead  of  the  Southern 
statesman's  flowing  prince  albert,  he  wore  a  sack-coat  of 


210  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

gray  jeans,  and  was  otherwise  distinguished  by  a  shirt 
of  white  and  blue  check.  He  grinned  as  Griswold  bent 
a  puzzled  look  upon  him. 

"I  took  your  courses  at  the  university  two  years  ago, 
Professor,  and  I  remember  distinctly  that  you  always 
wore  a  red  cravat  to  your  Wednesday  lectures." 

"You  have  done  well,"  replied  Griswold,  "for  I  never 
expected  to  find  an  old  student  who  remembered  half  as 
much  of  me  as  that.  Now,  as  I  understood  you  over  the 
telephone,  Appleweight  was  indicted  for  stealing  a  ham 
in  this  county  by  the  last  grand  jury,  but  the  sheriff  has 
failed  or  refused  to  make  the  arrest.  How  did  the  grand 
jury  come  to  indict  if  this  outlaw  dominates  all  the  hill 
country  ?" 

"The  grand  jury  wanted  to  make  a  showing  of  virtue, 
and  it  was,  of  course,  understood  between  the  foreman, 
the  leader  of  the  gang,  and  the  sheriff  that  no  warrant 
could  be  served  on  Appleweight.  I  did  my  duty;  the 
grand  jury's  act  was  exemplary ;  and  there  the  wheels  of 
justice  are  blocked.  The  same  thing  is  practically  true 
across  the  state  line  in  Dilwell  County,  North  Carolina. 
These  men,  led  by  Appleweight,  use  their  intimate 
knowledge  of  the  country  to  elude  pursuers  when  at 
times  the  revenue  men  undertake  a  raid,  and  the  county 


PROFESSOR  GRISWOLD  TAKES  THE  FIELD  211 

authorities  have  never  seriously  molested  them.  Now 
and  then  one  of  these  sheriffs  will  make  a  feint  of  go 
ing  out  to  look  for  Appleweight,  but  you  may  be  sure 
that  due  notice  is  given  before  he  starts.  Three  revenue 
officers  have  lately  been  killed  while  looking  for  these 
men,  and  the  government  is  likely  to  take  vigorous  ac 
tion  before  long." 

"We  may  as  well  be  frank,"  said  Griswold  in  his  most 
professional  voice.  "I  don't  want  the  federal  authori 
ties  to  take  these  men ;  it  is  important  that  they  should 
not  do  so.  This  is  an  affair  between  the  governors  of 
the  two  Carolinas.  It  has  been  said  that  neither  of  them 
dares  press  the  matter  of  arrest,  but  I  am  here  in  Gov 
ernor  Osborne's  behalf  to  give  the  lie  to  that  imputa 
tion." 

"That  has  undoubtedly  been  the  fact,  as  you  know," 
and  Habersham  smiled  at  his  old  preceptor  inquiringly. 
"Osborne  once  represented  the  Appleweights,  and  he 
undoubtedly  saved  the  leader  from  the  gallows.  That 
was  before  Osborne  ever  thought  of  becoming  governor, 
and  he  acted  only  within  his  proper  rights  as  a  lawyer. 
I  don't  recall  that  anything  in  professional  ethics  re 
quires  us  to  abandon  a  client  because  we  know  he's 
guilty.  If  such  were  the  case  we'd  all  starve  to  death." 


212  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

"Governor  Osborne  has  been  viciously  maligned,"  de 
clared  Griswold.  "While  he  did  at  one  time  represent 
these  people — no  doubt  thoroughly  and  efficiently — he 
holds  the  loftiest  ideal  of  public  service,  and  it  was  only 
when  his  official  integrity  was  brought  into  question  by 
unscrupulous  enemies  that  he  employed  me  as  special 
counsel  to  carry  this  affair  through  to  a  conclusion.  That 
accounts  for  my  presence  here,  Habersham,  and,  with 
your  assistance,  I  propose  to  force  Governor  Danger- 
field's  hand.  Suppose  all  these  people  were  arrested  in 
Mingo  County  under  these  indictments,  what  would  be 
the  result — trial  and  acquittal  ?" 

"Just  that,  in  spite  of  any  effort  made  to  convict 
them." 

"Well,  Governor  Osborne  is  tired  of  this  business  and 
wants  the  Appleweight  scandal  disposed  of  once  and  for 
all." 

"That's  strange,"  remarked  Habersham,  clearly  sur 
prised  at  Griswold's  vigorous  tone.  "I  called  on  the  gov 
ernor  in  his  office  at  Columbia,  only  ten  days  ago,  and 
he  put  me  off.  He  said  he  had  to  prepare  an  address  to 
deliver  before  the  South  Carolina  Political  Reform  As 
sociation,  and  he  couldn't  take  up  the  Appleweight  case; 
and  I  called  on  Bos  worth,  the  attorney-general,  and  he 


PROFESSOR  GRISWOLD  TAKES  THE  FIELD  213 

t, 

grew  furiously  angry,  and  said  I  was  guilty  of  the  grav 
est  malfeasance  in  not  having  brought  those  men  to  book 
long  ago.  When  I  suggested  that  he  connive  with  the 
governor  toward  removing  our  sheriff,  he  declared  that 
the  governor  was  a  coward.  He  seemed  anxious  to  put 
the  governor  in  a  hole,  though  why  he  should  take  that 
attitude  I  can't  make  out,  as  it  has  been  generally  un 
derstood  that  Governor  Osborne's  personal  friendliness 
for  him  secured  his  nomination  and  election  to  the  at 
torney-generalship,  and  I  have  heard  that  he  is  engaged 
to  the  governor's  oldest  daughter." 

"He  is  a  contemptible  hound,"  replied  Griswold  with 
feeling,  "and  at  the  proper  time  we  shall  deal  with  him ; 
but  it  is  of  more  importance  just  now  to  make  Apple- 
weight  a  prisoner  in  North  Carolina.  If  he's  arrested 
over  there,  that  lets  us  out;  and  if  the  North  Carolina 
authorities  won't  arrest  their  own  criminals  we'll  go 
over  into  Dilwell  County  and  show  them  how  to  be 
good.  The  man's  got  to  be  locked  up,  and  he'd  look 
much  better  in  a  North  Carolina  jail,  under  all  the  cir 
cumstances." 

"That's  good  in  theory,  but  how  do  you  justify  it  in 
law?" 

"Oh,  that's  the  merest  matter  of  formulae!    My  dear 


214  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

Habersham,  all  the  usual  processes  of  law  go  down  be 
fore  emergencies !" 

The  airiness  of  Griswold's  tone  caused  the  prosecutor 
to  laugh,  for  this  was  not  the  sober  associate  professor 
of  admiralty  whose  lectures  he  had  sat  under  at  the 
University  of  Virginia,  but  a  different  person,  whose 
new  attitude  toward  the  law  and  its  enforcement  shocked 
him  immeasurably. 

"You  seem  to  be  going  in  for  pretty  loose  interpreta 
tions,  and  if  that  plaster  bust  of  John  Marshall  up  there 
falls  from  the  shelf,  you  need  not  be  surprised,"  and 
Habersham  still  laughed.  "I  might  be  impudent  and 
cite  you  against  yourself !" 

"That  would  constitute  contempt  of  court,  and  I  can 
not  just  now  spare  your  services  long  enough  for  you  to 
serve  a  jail  sentence.  Go  on  now,  and  tell  me  what  you 
have  done  and  what  you  propose." 

"Well,  as  I  told  you  over  the  telephone,  we  hear  a 
great  deal  about  Appleweight  and  his  crowd,  but  we 
never  hear  much  of  their  enemies,  who  are,  nevertheless, 
of  the  same  general  stock,  and  equally  determined  when 
aroused.  Ten  of  these  men  I  have  quietly  called  to  meet 
at  my  farm  out  here  a  few  miles  from  town,  on  Thursday 
night.  They  come  from  different  points  over  the  country, 


PROFESSOR  GRISWOLD  TAKES  THE  FIELD  215 

and  we'll  have  a  small  but  grim  posse  that  will  be  ready 
for  business.  You  may  not  know  it,  but  the  Appleweights 
are  most  religious.  Appleweight  himself  boasts  that  he 
never  misses  church  on  Sunday.  He  goes  also  to  the 
mid-week  service  on  Thursday  night,  so  I  have  learned, 
and  thereby  hangs  our  opportunity.  Mount  Nebo 
Church  lies  off  here  toward  the  north.  It's  a  lonely 
point  in  itself,  though  it's  the  spiritual  center  and  ren 
dezvous  for  a  wide  area.  If  Appleweight  can  be  taken 
at  all,  that's  the  place,  and  I'm  willing  to  make  the  trial. 
Whether  to  stampede  the  church  and  make  a  fight,  or 
seize  him  alone  as  he  approaches  the  place,  is  a  question 
for  discussion  with  the  boys  I  have  engaged  to  go  into 
the  game.  How  does  it  strike  you  ?" 

"First  rate.  Ten  good  men  ought  to  be  enough ;  but 
if  it  comes  down  to  numbers,  the  state  militia  can  be 
brought  into  use.  The  South  Carolina  National  Guard 
is  in  camp,  and  we  can  have  a  regiment  quick  enough, 
if  I  ask  it." 

Habersham  whistled. 

"Osborne  is  certainly  up  and  doing!"  he  exclaimed, 
chuckling.  "I  suppose  he  has  tossed  a  quarter,  and  de 
cided  it's  better  to  be  good  than  to  be  senator.  By  the 
way,  that  was  a  curious  story  in  the  newspapers  about 


216  THE  LITTLE  BEOWN  JUG  AT  K1LDARE 

Dangerfield  and  Osborne  having  a  row  at  New  Orleans. 
I  wonder  just  what  passed  between  them  ?" 

Griswold  was  conscious  that  Habersham  glanced  at 
him  a  little  curiously,  with  a  look  that  implied  some 
thing  that  half  formed  itself  on  the  prosecuting  attor 
ney's  lips. 

"I  know  nothing  beyond  what  I  read  in  the  news 
papers  at  the  time.  Some  political  row,  I  fancy." 

"I  suppose  Governor  Osborne  hasn't  discussed  it  with 
you  since  his  return  to  Columbia?"  asked  Habersham 
carelessly.  The  shadow  of  a  smile  flitted  across  his  face 
but  vanished  quickly  as  though  before  a  returning  con 
sciousness  of  the  fact  that  he  was  facing  Henry  Maine 
Griswold,  who  was  first  of  all  a  gentleman,  and  not  less 
a  scholar  and  a  man  of  the  world,  who  was  not  to  be 
trifled  with. 

"No,"  replied  Griswold,  a  little  shortly.  "I  was  ap 
pealed  to  in  rather  an  unusual  way  in  this  matter  of 
Appleweight.  It  is  quite  out  of  my  line  as  a  legal  propo 
sition,  but  there  are  other  considerations  of  which  I  may 
not  speak." 

"Pardon  me,"  murmured  Habersham;  but  he  asked: 
"What  was  Governor  Osborne  doing  when  you  left 
Columbia?" 


PROFESSOR  GR1SWOLD  TAKES  THE  FIELD  217 

"When  I  left  Columbia/'  remarked  Griswold,  and  it 
was  he  that  smiled  now,  "to  the  best  of  my  knowledge 
and  belief  the  governor  of  South  Carolina  was  deeply 
absorbed  in  knitting  a  necktie,  the  color  of  which  was,  I 
think,  the  orange  of  a  Blue  Ridge  autumn  sunset.  And 
now,  if  you  will  kindly  give  me  pen  and  paper,  I  will 
communicate  the  Appleweight  situation  and  our  pros 
pects  to  my  honored  chief." 


CHAPTER  XI 

TWO  LADIES   ON  A   BALCONY 

The  outer  aspect  of  Ardsley  is,  frankly,  feudal.  The 
idea  of  a  North  Carolina  estate  had  grown  out  of 
Ardmore's  love  of  privacy  and  his  wish  to  get  away 
from  New  York  where  his  family  was  all  too  fre 
quently  struck  by  the  spot  light.  The  great  tract  of  land 
once  secured  he  had  not  concerned  himself  about  a  house, 
but  had  thrown  together  a  comfortable  bungalow  which 
satisfied  him  for  a  year.  But  Ardmore's  gentle  heart, 
inaccessible  to  demands  of  many  sorts,  was  a  defense 
less  citadel  when  appeals  were  made  to  his  generosity. 
A  poor  young  architect,  lately  home  from  the  Ecole  des 
Beaux  Arts,  with  many  honors  but  few  friends,  fell  un 
der  Ardmore's  eyes.  The  towers  and  battlements  that 
soon  thereafter  crowned  the  terraced  slopes  at  Ardsley, 
etching  a  noble  line  against  the  lovely  panorama  of 
North  Carolina  hills,  testified  at  once  to  the  architect's 
talent  for  adaptation  and  Ardmore's  diminished  balances 
at  the  Bronx:  Loan  and  Trust  Company. 

218 


TWO   LADIES    ON   A   BALCONY        219 

On  a  balcony  that  commanded  the  sunset — a  balcony 
bright  with  geraniums  that  hung  daringly  over  a  ravine 
on  the  west,  Mrs.  Atchison  and  Miss  Jerry  Dangerfield 
were  cosily  taking  their  tea.  Their  white  gowns,  the 
snowy  awning  stirring  slightly  in  the  hill  air,  the  bright 
trifles  of  the  tea-table  mingled  in  a  picture  of  charm  and 
contentment. 

"I  wonder/'  said  Mrs.  Atchison  abruptly,  "where 
Tommy  is." 

"I  have  no  definite  idea,"  said  Jerry,  pouring  cream, 
"but  let  us  hope  that  he  is  earning  his  salary." 

"His  salary?"  and  Mrs.  Atchison's  brows  contracted. 
"Do  you  mean  that  my  brother  is  taking  pay  for  this 
mysterious  work  he  is  doing?" 

"He  shall  be  paid  in  money,"  replied  Jerry  with  deci 
sion.  "As  I  have  only  the  barest  acquaintance  with  Mr. 
Ardmore,  never,  in  fact,  having  seen  him  until  a  few 
days  ago,  it  would  be  very  improper  for  me  to  permit 
him  to  serve  me  except  under  the  rules  that  govern  the 
relations  of  employer  and  employee." 

Mrs.  Atchison  smiled  with  the  wise  tolerance  of  a 
woman  of  the  world ;  and  she  was  a  lady,  it  must  be  said, 
who  had  a  keen  perception  of  that  sane  and  ample 
philosophy  of  life  which  proceeds,  we  may  say,  for  the 


220  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

sake  of  convenience,  from  the  sense  of  humor.  She  did 
not  like  to  be  puzzled;  and  she  had  never  in  her  life 
been  surprised,  least  of  all  by  any  word  or  deed  of  her 
singular  brother  Tommy.  She  liked  and  even  cultivated 
with  daring  the  inadvertent  turns  in  a  day's  affairs. 
The  cool  fashion  in  which  her  brother  had  placed  the 
daughter  of  the  governor  of  North  Carolina  in  her  hands 
on  board  her  cax  at  Raleigh  had  amused  her.  She  had 
learned  nothing  from  Jerry  of  the  beginnings  of  that 
young  woman's  acquaintance  with  the  master  of  Ardsley 
— an  acquaintance  which  seemed  to  be  intimate  in  cer 
tain  aspects  but  amazingly  distant  and  opaque  in  others. 
Miss  Geraldine  Dangerfield,  like  Mrs.  Atdiison  herself, 
was  difficult  to  surprise,  and  Tommy  Ardmore's  sister 
admired  this  in  any  one  and  she  particularly  admired 
it  in  Jerry,  who  was  so  charming  in  so  many  other  ways. 
Mrs.  Atchison  imagined  that  Jerry's  social  experience 
had  been  meager,  and  yet  the  girl  accepted  the  condi 
tions  of  life  at  Ardsley  as  a  matter  of  course,  and  in  the 
gatherings  of  the  house  party  Jerry — there  was  no  deny 
ing  it — held  the  center  of  the  stage. 

The  men,  including  the  Duke  of  Ballywinkle,  hung 
upon  her  lightest  word,  which  often  left  them  stagger 
ing;  and  she  frequently  flung  the  ball  of  conversation 


TWO    LADIES    ON    A   BALCONY         221 

into  the  blue  ether  with  a  careless  ease  that  kept  expect 
ancy  a-tiptoe  in  the  minds  and  hearts  of  all  the  com 
pany. 

"I  hope,"  said  Mrs.  Atchison,  putting  down  her  cup 
and  gazing  dreamily  into  the  west,  "that  you  have  not 
given  Tommy  any  commission  in  which  he  is  likely  to 
fail.  If  it  were  a  matter  of  finding  a  fan  you  had  left 
behind  somewhere,  or  even  of  producing  an  extinct 
flower  from  the  Andes,  he  would  undoubtedly  be  faith 
ful  to  the  trust  imposed  on  him :  but  in  anything  that  is 
really  serious,  really  of  importance  one  should  never  de 
pend  on  Tommy." 

This  was,  as  the  lady  knew,  almost  vulgarly  leading; 
but  Jerry  folded  her  arms,  and  spoke  out  with  charm 
ing  frankness. 

"I  have  heard  my  father  say,"  said  Jerry,  "that  in 
capable  men  often  rise  to  great  opportunities  when  they 
are  pushed.  Mr.  Ardmore  has  undertaken  to  perform 
for  me  a  service  of  the  greatest  delicacy  ami  not  un 
attended  with  danger.  You  have  been  kind  to  me,  Mrs. 
Atchison,  and  as  you  are  my  chaperon  and  entitled  to 
my  fullest  confidence  it  is  right  for  you  to  know  just 
how  I  came  here,  and  why  your  brother  is  absent  in  my 


222  THE  LITTLE  BKOWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

For  once  curiosity  bound  Mrs.  Atchison  in  chains  of 
steel. 

"Tell  me  nothing,  dear,  unless  you  are  quite  free  to 
do  so,"  she  murmured;  but  her  heart  skipped  a  beat  as 
she  waited. 

"I  should  not  think  of  doing  so  except  of  my  own 
free  will,"  declared  Jerry,  carelessly  following  the  flight 
of  a  hawk  that  flapped  close  by  toward  the  neighboring 
woods.  "It  may  interest  you  to  know  that  just  now  your 
brother,  Mr.  Thomas  Ardmore,  is  the  governor  of  North 
Carolina.  He  does  not  exactly  know  it,  for  at  Raleigh 
I  myself  was  governor  of  North  Carolina  at  the  time 
we  met  and  I  only  made  Mr.  Ardmore  my  private  secre 
tary;  but  when  it  became  necessary  to  take  the  field  I 
placed  him  in  full  charge,  and  he  is  now  not  only  gov 
ernor  of  the  Old  North  State,  but  also  the  conimander- 
in-chief  of  her  troops  in  the  field." 

With  a  nice  feeling  for  climax  Jerry  paused,  picked 
a  lump  of  sugar  from  the  silver  bowl  on  the  tea-table, 
bit  the  edge  of  it  daintily,  and  tossed  it  to  the  robins 
that  hopped  on  the  lawn  beneath. 

Mrs.  Atchison  moved  forward  slightly,  but  evinced 
no  other  sign  of  surprise.  The  hour,  the  scene,  the 
srirl  were  all  to  her  liking.  She  would  even  prolong  the 


TWO    LADIES    ON    A   BALCONY         223 

delight  of  hearing  the  further  history  of  her  brother's 
amazing  elevation  to  supreme  power  in  an  American 
commonwealth — it  was  so  foreign  to  all  experience,  so 
heavy  with  possibilities,  so  delicious  in  that  it  had  hap 
pened  to  Tommy  of  all  men  in  the  world ! 

"I  trust,"  she  said,  smiling  a  little,  "that  Tommy  will 
not  prove  unworthy  of  the  confidence  you  have  reposed 
in  him." 

"If  he  does,"  said  Jerry,  slapping  her  hands  to 
gether  to  free  them  of  an  imaginary  sugar  crumb,  "I 
shall  never,  never  marry  him." 

"Then  may  I  ask,  Miss  Dangerfield,  if  you  and  he 
are  engaged?" 

"Not  at  all,  Mrs.  Atchison !  Not  only  are  we  not  en 
gaged,  but  he  has  never  even  proposed  to  me.  Besides,  I 
am  engaged  to  Colonel  Rutherford  Gillingwater,  our 
adjutant-general/' 

"Then  if  you  are  engaged  to  this  military  person,  just 
wherein  lies  the  significance  of  your  threat  never  to 
marry  my  brother." 

"That,"  said  Jerry,  "is  perfectly  easy  of  explanation. 
Your  brother  and  I  have  met  only  a  few  times,  and  I 
never  become  engaged  to  any  man  whom  I  have  not 
known  for  a  week  at  least.  Marriage  is  a  serious  matter 


224:  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

and  while  the  frequent  breaking  of  engagements  is  pain 
ful  in  the  extreme,  I  think  one  can  not  be  too  careful 
in  assuming  the  marriage  bond." 

Mrs.  Atchison  wondered  whether  the  girl  was  amus 
ing  herself  at  her  expense,  but  Jerry's  tone  was  grave 
and  Jerry's  eyes  were  steady.  Jerry  was  a  new  species, 
and  she  had  appeared  at  a  fortunate  moment  when  Mrs. 
Atchison  had  almost  concluded  that  the  world  is  a 
squeezed  lemon. 

"In  view  of  the  fact  that  you  are  engaged  to  Dilling- 
water — "  began  Mrs.  Atchison,  anxious  for  further  dis 
closures  touching  Jerry's  ideas  on  matrimony. 

"Colonel  Rutherford  Gillingwater,  please!"  corrected 
Jerry. 

" — I  don't  quite  grasp  this  matter  of  your  attitude 
toward  my  brother.  Unless  I  misunderstood  you,  you 
remarked  a  moment  ago  that  unless  he  succeeded  in  his 
present  undertaking  you  would  never  marry  him." 

"That  is  exactly  what  I  said,  and  I  meant  ever  word 
of  it,"  declared  Jerry.  "I  will  not  conceal  from  you, 
Mrs.  Atchison,  my  determination  that  your  brother  shall 
be  my  second  husband." 

There  was  no  question  of  Mrs.  Atchison's  complete 
surprise  now. 


TWO   LADIES   ON  A  BALCONY        2S5 

"Your  second  husband,  child  ?" 

"My  second  husband,  Mrs.  Atchison.  Life  is  short  at 
best,  and  I  was  told  by  my  old  mammy  when  I  was  a 
little  child — she  turned  out  afterward  to  be  a  real  voodoo 
woman — that  I  should  be  married  twice.  I  am  very 
superstitious  and  that  made  a  great  impression  on  my 
mind.  It  is  not  in  keeping  with  my  ideas  of  life,  Mrs. 
Atchison,  to  be  long  a,  widow,  so  that  I  think  it  perfectly 
right  to  choose  a  second  husband  even  before  I  am  quite 
sure  that  I  have  chosen  wisely  for  my  first." 

"Has  the  military  person  weak  lungs  ?" 

"No;  but  his  mind  is  not  strong.  Anything  sudden 
like  apoplexy  would  be  sure  to  go  hard  with  him/' 

"Then  you  should  be  careful  not  to  shock  him.  It 
would  be  almost  criminal  to  break  your  engagement  with 
him." 

"That  rests  entirely  with  him,  Mrs.  Atchison.  The 
man  I  love  must  be  brave,  tender  and  true.  After  our 
present  difficulties  are  over  I  shall  know  whether 
Rutherford  Gillingwater  is  the  man  I  believe  I  am  go 
ing  to  marry  in  October." 

"But  you  spoke  a  moment  ago  of  Tommy's  official 
position.  Is  this  arrangement  a  matter  of  general  know 
ledge  in  North  Carolina  ?" 


226  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KTLDAKE 

"No;  it  is  not.  You  and  he  and  I  are  the  only  per 
sons  who  know  it.  Papa  does  not  know  it  yet;  and 
when  papa  finds  it  out  it  may  go  hard  with  him.  You 
see,  Mrs.  Atchison" — and  Jerry  leaned  forward  and 
rested  an  elbow  on  the  tea-table  and  tucked  her  little 
chin  into  the  palm  of  her  hand — "you  see,  papa  is  very 
absent-minded,  as  great  men  often  are,  and  he  went 
away  and  forgot  to  perform  some  duties  which  the 
honor  and  dignity  of  the  state  require  to  be  performed 
immediately.  There  are  some  wicked  men  who  have 
caused  both  North  Carolina  and  South  Carolina  a  great 
deal  of  trouble,  but  they  must  not  be  punished  in  this 
state,  but  in  South  Carolina,  which  is  just  over  there 
somewhere.  There  are  many  reasons  for  that  which 
would  be  very  tiresome  to  tell  you  about,  but  the  prin 
cipal  one  is  that  Barbara  Osborne,  the  daughter  of  the 
governor  of  South  Carolina,  is  the  snippiest  and  stuck- 
upest  person  I  have  ever  known,  and  while  your  brother 
and  I  are  in  charge  of  this  state  I  have  every  intention 
of  annoying  her  in  every  way  I  can.  When  Mr.  Ard- 
more  has  caught  those  wicked  men  I  spoke  of,  who 
really  do  not  belong  in  this  state  at  all,  they  will  be 
marched  straight  into  South  Carolina  and  then  we  shall 
see  what  Governor  Osborne  does  about  it;  and  we  will 


TWO    LADIES    ON    A   BALCONY         227 

show  Barbara  Osborne,  whose  father  never  had  to  paper 
his  dining-room,  after  the  war  between  the  states,  with 
bonds  of  the  Confederacy — we  will  show  her  that  there's 
a  good  deal  of  difference  between  the  Dangerfields  and 
the  Osbornes,  and  between  the  proud  Old  North  State 
and  the  state  of  South  Carolina." 

"And  you  have  placed  this  business,  requiring  courage 
and  finesse,  in  Tommy's  hands  ?" 

"That  is  exactly  what  I  have  done,  Mrs.  Atchison. 
Your  brother  is  no  great  distance  from  here,  and  we 
have  exchanged  telegrams  to-day;  but  when  I  told  you 
a  moment  ago  that  I  did  not  know  his  whereabouts  ex 
actly  I  spoke  the  truth.  Your  brother's  appearance  on 
the  scene  at  the  beginning  was  most  providential.  The 
stage  was  set,  the  curtain  waited" — Jerry  extended  her 
arms  to  indicate  a  breadth  of  situation — "but  there  was 
no  valiant  hero.  I  needed  a  leading  man,  and  Mr.  Ard- 
more  walked  in  like  a  fairy  prince  ready  to  take  the 
part.  And  what  I  shall  say  to  you  further,  as  my 
chaperon,  will  not,  I  hope,  cause  you  to  think  ill  of  me." 

"I  love  you  more  and  more !  You  may  tell  me  any 
thing  you  like  without  fear  of  being  misunderstood; 
but  tell  me  nothing  that  you  prefer  to  keep  to  yourself." 

"If  you  were  not  Mr.  Ardmore's  sister  I  should  not 


228  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

tell  you  this ;  and  I  shall  never  tell  another  soul.  I  was 
coming  home  from  a  visit  in  Baltimore  and  the  train 
stopped  somewhere  to  let  another  train  pass.  The  two 
trains  stood  side  by  side  for  a  little  while  and  in  the 
window  of  the  sleeper  opposite  me  I  saw  a  young  man 
who  seemed  very  sad.  I  thought  perhaps  he  had  buried 
all  his  friends,  for  he  had  the  appearance  of  one  lately 
bereaved.  It  has  always  seemed  to  me  that  we  should 
do  what  we  can  to  cheer  the  afflicted,  and  this  gentle 
man  was  staring  out  of  his  window  very  sadly,  as  though 
he  needed  a  friend,  and  as  he  caught  my  eye  it  seemed 
to  me  that  there  was  an  appeal  in  it  that  it  would  have 
been  unwomanly  for  me  to  ignore.  So,  just  as  my  train 
started,  at  the  very  last  moment  that  we  looked  at  each 
other,  I  winked  at  that  gentleman  with,  I  think,  my 
right  eye." 

Miss  Geraldine  Dangerfield  touched  the  offending 
member  delicately  with  her  handkerchief. 

Mrs.  Atchison  bent  forward  and  took  both  the  girl's 
hands. 

"And  that  was  Tommy — my  brother  Tommy  ?" 

"That  gentleman  has  proved  to  be  Mr.  Thomas  Ard- 
more.  I  had  not  the  slightest  idea  that  I  should  ever  in 
the  world  see  him  again.  My  only  hope  was  that  he 


TWO    LADIES    ON   A   BALCONY         229 

would  go  on  his  way  cheered  and  refreshed  by  my  sign 
of  good-will,  though  he  was  either  so  depressed  or  so 
surprised,  that  he  made  no  response.  I  never  expected 
to  see  him  again  in  this  world;  and  when  I  had  almost 
forgotten  all  about  him  he  coolly  sent  in  his  card  to  me 
at  the  executive  mansion  in  Ealeigh.  And  I  was  very 
harsh  with  him  when  I  learned  who  he  was;  for  you 
know  the  Ardmore  estate  owns  a  lot  of  North  Carolina 
bonds  that  are  due  on  the  first  of  June,  and  Mr.  Billings 
had  been  chasing  papa  all  over  the  country  to  know 
whether  they  will  be  paid ;  and  I  supposed  that  of  course 
your  brother  was  looking  for  papa,  too,  to  annoy  him 
about  some  mere  detail  of  that  bond  business,  for  the 
state  treasurer,  who  does  not  love  papa,  has  gone  away 
fishing  and  Mr.  Billings  is  perfectly  wild." 

"Delicious !"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Atchison.  "Perfectly  de 
licious!  And  I  am  sure  that  when  Tommy  explained 
his  real  sentiments  toward  Mr.  Billings  you  and  he  be 
came  friends  at  once." 

"Not  at  once,  for  I  came  very  near  having  him  thrown 
out  of  the  house ;  and  I  laughed  at  him  about  a  jug  that 
was  given  to  him  on  the  train  at  Kildare  with  a  message 
in  it  for  papa.  You  know  when  you  are  governor  people 
always  give  you  presents — that  is,  your  friendly  con- 


230  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDAEE 

stituents  do.  The  others  give  you  only  unkind  words. 
The  temperance  people  send  you  jugs  of  buttermilk  on 
board  your  train  as  you  pass  through  the  commonwealth 
and  others  send  you  applejack.  Your  brother  gave 
back  the  buttermilk  and  kept  the  jug  of  applejack 
which  had  a  warning  to  father  in  its  corn-cob  stopper. 
I  thought  it  was  very  funny,  and  I  laughed  at  your 
brother  so  that  he  was  scared  and  ran  out  of  the  house. 
Then  afterwards  I  looked  out  of  the  window  of  papa's 
office  and  saw  Mr.  Ardmore  sitting  on  a  bench  in  the 
state  house  yard  looking  ever  so  sad  and  dejected,  and  I 
sent  the  private  secretary  out  to  get  him;  and  now  we 
are,  I  think,  the  best  of  friends,  and  Mr.  Ardmore  is, 
as  I  have  already  told  you,  the  governor  of  North  Caro 
lina  to  all  intents  and  purposes." 

"May  I  call  you  Jerry?  Thank  you,  dear.  Let  me  tell 
you  that  I  am  thirty-two  and  you  are — ?" 

"Seventeen,"  supplied  Jerry. 

"And  this  is  the  most  amusing,  interesting  and  ex 
citing  thing  I  have  heard  in  all  my  life.  It  might  be 
difficult  ordinarily  for  me  to  forgive  the  wink,  but  your 
explanation  lifts  it  out  of  the  realm  of  social  impro 
priety  into  the  sphere  of  generous  benevolence.  And  if, 
after  Colonel  Gillingwater  has  gone  to  his  reward,  you 


TWO    LADIES    ON    A   BALCONY         231 

should  marry  my  brother,  I  shall  do  all  in  my  power 
to  make  your  life  in  our  family  happy  in  every  way." 

"Your  brother  does  not  seem  particularly  proud  of 
his  family  connection,"  said  Jerry.  "He  spoke  of  you 
in  the  most  beautiful  way,  but  he  seems  distressed  by 
the  actions  of  some  of  the  others." 

Mrs.  Atchison  sighed. 

"Tommy  is  right  about  us.  We  are  a  sad  lot." 

"But  he  is  very  hard  on  the  duke.  Since  I  came  to 
Ardsley  his  Grace  has  treated  me  with  the  greatest 
courtesy,  and  he  has  spoken  to  me  in  the  most  compli 
mentary  terms.  He  is  beyond  question  a  man  of  kind 
heart,  for  he  has  promised  me  his  mother's  pearl  neck 
lace,  which  had  been  in  her  family  for  four  hundred 
years." 

"I  should  not  hesitate  to  take  the  necklace,  Jerry,  if 
he  really  produces  it,  for  my  sister,  his  wife,  has  never 
had  the  slightest  glimpse  of  it,  and  it  is,  I  believe,  in  the 
hands  of  certain  English  trustees  for  the  benefit  of  the 
duke's  creditors.  I  dislike  to  spoil  one  of  his  Grace's 
pretty  illusions,  but  unless  Mr.  Billings  softens  his  heart 
a  great  deal  toward  the  duke  I  fear  that  you  will  not  get 
the  pearls  this  summer." 

"I  must  tell  you  as  my  chaperon,  Mrs.  Atchison,  that 


232  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

the  duke  has  already  offered  to  elope  with  me.  He  told 
me  last  night  as  we  were  having  our  coffee  on  the  ter 
race,  that  he  would  gladly  give  up  his  wife,  meaning,  I 
suppose,  your  sister,  and  the  Ardmore  millions  for  me ; 
but  while  I  think  him  fascinating  I  want  you  to  feel 
quite  safe,  for  I  promise  you  I  shall  elope  with  no  one 
while  I  am  your  guest." 

Mrs.  Atchison's  face  had  grown  a  little  white  and  she 
compressed  her  lips  in  lines  that  were  the  least  bit 
grim. 

"The  scoundrel !"  she  exclaimed  half  under  her  breath. 
"To  think  that  he  would  insult  a  child  like  you !  He  is 
hanging  about  us  here  in  the  hope  of  getting  more 
money,  while  my  poor  sister,  his  wife,  is  in  an  English 
sanatorium  half  crazed  by  his  brutality.  If  Tommy  knew 
this  he  would  undoubtedly  kill  him  I'9 

"That  would  be  very  unnecessary.  A  duke,  after  all, 
is  something,  and  I  should  hate  to  have  the  poor  man 
killed  on  my  account.  And  besides,  Mrs.  Atchison,  I  am 
perfectly  able  to  take  care  of  myself." 

"I  believe  you  are,  Jerry.  But  it's  a  terrible  thing  to 
have  that  beast  about,  and  I  shall  tell  him  to-night  that 
he  must  leave  this  place  and  the  country." 

"But  first,"  said  Jerry,  "I  have  an  engagement  to  ride 


TWO    LADIES    ON    A   BALCONY         233 

with  him  after  dinner  to  see  the  moon,  and  the  op 
portunity  of  seeing  a  moon  with  a  duke  of  ancient  fam 
ily,  here  on  the  sacred  soil  of  North  Carolina,  is  some 
thing  that  I  can  not  lightly  put  aside/' 

"You  can  not — you  must  not  go !" 

"Leave  it  to  me/'  said  Jerry,  smiling  slightly;  "and 
I  promise  you  that  the  duke  will  never  again  insult  an 
American  girl.  And  now  I  think  I  must  dress  for 
dinner/3 

She  rose  and  turned  her  eyes  dreamily  to  the  tower 
above,  where  the  North  Carolina  state  flag  flapped  idly 
in  the  breeze.  This  silken  emblem  with  its  single  star 
Miss  Geraldine  Dangerfield  carried  with  her  in  her 
trunk  wherever  she  traveled;  and  having  noted  Ards- 
ley's  unadorned  flagstaff,  she  had,  with  her  own  hands, 
unfurled  it,  highly  resolved  that  it  should  remain  until 
the  rightful  governor  returned  to  his  own. 

A  few  minutes  later,  as  Mrs.  Atchison  was  reading  the 
late  mail  in  her  sitting-room,  she  took  up  a  New  York 
newspaper  of  the  day  before  and  ran  over  the  head-lines. 
"Lost:  A  Governor"  was  a  caption  that  held  her  eye, 
and  she  read  a  special  despatch  dated  Ealeigh  with  deep 
est  interest.  Governor  Dangerfield,  the  item  hinted,  had 
not  yet  returned  from  New  Orleans  where  he  had  gone 


234  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

to  attend  the  Cotton  Planters'  Convention,  and  where, 
moreover,  he  had  quarreled  with  the  governor  of  South 
Carolina.  The  cowardly  conduct  of  both  governors  in 
dealing  with  the  Appleweight  band  of  outlaws  was  re 
cited  at  length;  and  it  was  also  intimated  that  Governor 
Dangerfield  was  deliberately  absenting  himself  from  his 
office  to  avoid  meeting  squarely  the  Appleweight  issue. 

Mrs.  Atchison  smiled  to  herself;  then  she  laughed 
merrily  as  she  rang  for  her  maid. 

"Little  Jerry's  story  seemed  highly  plausible  as  she 
told  it;  and  yet  she  is  perfectly  capable  of  spinning  ro 
mance  with  that  pretty  mouth  of  hers,  particularly  when 
backed  by  those  sweet  and  serious  blue  eyes.  Tommy  and 
Jerry!  The  combination  is  irresistible!  If  she  has 
really  turned  the  state  of  North  Carolina  over  to  my 
little  brother  something  unusual  will  certainly  happen 
before  long." 

And  Mrs.  Atchison  was  quite  right  in  her  surmise,  as 
we  shall  see. 


CHAPTER  XII 

THE  EMBARRASSMENTS   OF  THE  DUKE  OF  BALLYWINKLE 

Mr.  Frank  Collins,  of  the  Atlanta  Palladium,  trod 
the  ties  beyond  Kildare  with  a  light  heart,  gaily  swing 
ing  a  suit-case.  He  had  walked  far,  but  a  narrow-brim 
straw  hat,  perched  on  the  back  of  his  head,  and  the 
cheery  lilt  of  the  waltz  he  whistled  spoke  for  a  jaunty 
spirit.  As  his  eye  ranged  the  landscape  he  marked  a 
faint  cloud  of  smoke  rising  beyond  a  lonely  strip  of 
wood;  and  coming  to  a  dilapidated  piece  of  track  that 
led  vaguely  away  into  the  heart  of  the  forest,  he  again 
noted  the  tiny  smoke-cloud.  On  such  a  day  the  half- 
gods  go  and  the  gods  arrive;  and  the  world  that  after 
noon  knew  no  cheerfuller  spirit  than  the  Palladium's 
agile  young  commissioner.  Mr.  Collins  was  not  only  in 
capital  health  and  spirits  but  he  rejoiced  in  that 
delicious  titillation  of  expectancy  which  is  the  chief 
compensation  of  the  journalist's  life.  His  mission  was 

235 


236  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  K1LDARE 

secret,  and  this  in  itself  gave  flavor  to  his  errand ;  and, 
moreover,  it  promised  adventures  of  a  kind  that  were 
greatly  to  his  liking. 

As  the  woodland  closed  in  about  him  and  the  curving 
spur  carried  him  farther  from  the  main  right  of  way 
he  ceased  whistling  and  his  steps  became  more  guarded. 
Suddenly  a  man  rose  from  the  bushes  and  leveled  a  long 
arm  at  him  detainingly. 

"Stop,  young  man,  stop  where  you  are !" 

"Hello !"  called  Collins,  pausing.  "Well,  Fm  jiggered 
if  it  ain't  old  Cookie.  I  say,  old  man,  is  the  untaied 
juice  flowing  in  the  forest  primeval  or  what  brings  you 
here?" 

Cooke  grinned  as  he  recalled  the  reporter,  whom  he 
remembered  as  a  particularly  irrepressible  specimen  of 
his  genus  whom  he  had  met  while  pursuing  moonshiners 
in  Georgia.  The  two  shook  hands  amiably  midway  of 
the  two  streaks  of  rust. 

"Young  man,  I  think  I  told  you  once  before  that  your 
legs  were  altogether  too  active.  I  want  you  to  light  right 
out  of  here — skip !" 

"Not  for  a  million  dollars.  Our  meeting  is  highly 
opportune,  Cookie.  It's  not  for  me  to  fly  in  the  face  of 
Providence.  I'm  going  to  see  whaf  s  doing  down  here." 


THE   DUKE   OF  BALLYWINKLE        237 

"All  right/'  replied  Cooke.  "Take  it  all  in  and  enjoy 
yourself;  but  you're  my  prisoner/' 

"Oh,  that  will  be  all  right !  So  long  as  Fm  with  you 
I  can't  lose  out." 

"March!"  called  Cooke,  dropping  behind;  and  thus 
the  two  came  in  a  few  minutes  to  the  engine,  the  cars 
and  the  caboose.  From  the  locomotive  a  slight  smoke 
still  trailed  hazily  upward. 

Thomas  Ardmore,  coatless  and  hatless,  sat  on  the  ca 
boose  steps  writing  messages  on  a  broad  pad,  while  a 
telegraph  instrument  clicked  busily  within.  One  of  his 
men  had  qualified  as  operator  and  a  pile  of  messages  at 
his  elbow  testified  to  Ardmore's  industry.  Ardmore 
clutched  in  his  left  hand  a  message  recently  caught  from 
the  wire  which  he  re-read  from  time  to  time  with  in 
creasing  satisfaction.  It  had  been  sent  from  Ardsley  and 
ran: 

I  shall  ride  to-night  on  the  road  that  leads  south  beyond 
the  red  bungalow,  and  on  the  bridle-path  that  climbs  the 
ridge  on  the  west,  called  Sunset  Trail.  A  certain  English 
gentleman  will  accompany  me.  It  will  be  perfectly  agree 
able  to  me  to  come  back  alone.  G.  D. 

Ardmore  was  still  writing  when  Cooke  stood  beneath 
him  under  the  caboose  platform. 


238  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDAKE 

"I  beg  your  pardon,  Mr.  Ardmore,  but  this  is  our  first 
prisoner." 

Ardmore  signed  a  despatch  and  then  looked  up  and 
took  the  pipe  from  his  mouth.  Collins  lifted  his  hat 
politely. 

"Ah,  Mr.  Ardmore,  you  see  I  have  taken  advantage  of 
your  exceedingly  kind  invitation  to  look  you  up  in 
North  Carolina." 

"He  was  looking  for  you  very  hard  when  I  found  him, 
Mr.  Ardmore/'  interposed  Cooke. 

"Your  appearance  delights  me,"  said  Ardmore,  ex 
tending  his  hand  to  the  reporter.  "It  was  nice  of  you 
to  walk  out  here  to  find  me.  Wouldn't  they  put  you  up 
at  the  house?" 

"Well,  the  fact  is  I  didn't  stop  there.  My  paper  sent 
me  in  this  general  direction  on  business,  but  I  had  every 
honorable  intention  of  making  you  that  visit  after  I  fin 
ished  my  assignment.  But  Cookie  here  says  I'm  ar 
rested." 

"He's  a  dangerous  character  and  can't  be  allowed  to 
run  loose  in  these  parts.  I'm  going  to  tie  him  up,"  said 
Cooke. 

"May  I  ask  you,  Mr.  Collins,  just  what  you  are  doing 
here?"  inquired  Ardmore. 


THE    DUKE    OF   BALLYWINKLE        239 

"You  may,  and  Fll  bet  a  boiled  goose  that  Cooke  and 
I  are  on  the  same  job." 

"What  are  you  looking  for?"  demanded  Ardmore's 
chief  of  staff. 

"It's  a  big  story  if  I  get  it,  .and  I  have  every  intention 
of  getting  it,"  said  Collins  guardedly. 

"Out  with  it !"  commanded  Ardmore. 

"The  fact  is,  then,  that  Fm  looking  for  a  person  of 
importance." 

"Go  right  on,  please." 

"And  that  person  is  the  governor  of  North  Carolina, 
who  is  mysteriously  absent  from  Kaleigh.  He  attended 
the  Cotton  Planters'  Convention  in  New  Orleans.  He 
got  as  far  as  Atlanta  on  his  way  home  and  then  disap 
peared.  I  need  not  say  to  gentlemen  of  your  intelligence 
that  a  lost  governor  is  ripe  fruit  in  my  business,  and  I 
have  reason  to  believe  that  for  some  purpose  of  his  own 
the  governor  of  North  Carolina  is  hiding  in  this  very 
neighborhood." 

Cooke  glanced  at  Ardmore  for  instructions,  but  the 
master  of  Ardsley  preferred  to  keep  the  matter  in  his 
own  hands. 

"So  you  want  to  find  the  governor  of  North  Carolina, 
do  you?  Well  you  shall  not  be  disappointed.  You  are 


240  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

) 

too  able  and  zealous  to  be  wasted  on  journalism.  I  have 

a  feeling  that  you  are  destined  to  higher  things.  Some 
thing  told  me  when  we  met  in  Atlanta  that  fate  had  set 
us  apart  for  each  other.  That  was  why  I  asked  you  to 
visit  me  when  I  really  didn't  know  but  that,  after  learn 
ing  where  the  spoons  are  kept,  you  would  skip  without 
leaving  your  subsequent  address.  But  now  there  is  im 
portant  business  on  hand  and  the  state  of  North  Caro 
lina  will  take  the  liberty  of  borrowing  you  from  Georgia 
until  the  peace  of  the  Old  North  State  is  restored.  And 
now,  Collins,  I  will  make  a  disclosure  that  will  un 
doubtedly  startle  you  a  good  deal,  but  you  are  no 
longer  employed  by  the  Atlanta  Palladium,,  and  your 
obligations  to  that  journal  must  be  transferred  to  the 
state  in  which  you  now  stand.  You  came  here,  Collins, 
to  look  for  the  governor  of  North  Carolina.,  and  your 
wits  and  your  argus-nose  for  news  have  served  you  well. 
You  have  found  the  governor  of  North  Carolina :  I  am 
he!" 

Collins  had  stood  during  this  recital  in  the  middle  of 
the  track,  with  his  legs  wide  apart,  calmly  fanning  him 
self  with  his  hat;  but  as  Ardmore  proceeded  the  re 
porter's  hand  dropped  to  his  side,  and  a  grin  that  had 
overspread  his  face  slowly  yielded  to  a  blank  stare. 


THE   DUKE   OF   BALLYWINKLE        241 

"Would  you  mind  repeating  those  last  words  ?" 
"I  am  the  governor  of  North  Carolina,  Mr.  Collins. 
The  manner  in  which  I  attained  that  high  office  is  not 
important.  It  must  suffice  that  I  am  in  sole  charge  of 
the  affairs  of  this  great  state,  without  relief  from  valua 
tion  or  appraisement  laws  and  without  benefit  of  clergy. 
And  we  have  much  to  do  here;  mere  social  conversation 
must  await  an  ampler  time.  I  now  appoint  you  pub 
licity  agent  to  the  governor.  Your  business  is  to  keep 
the  people  fooled — all  the  people  all  the  time.  In  other 
words,  you  are  chief  liar  to  the  administration,  a  posi 
tion  of  vast  responsibility,  for  which  you  have,  if  I  am 
a  judge  of  character,  the  greatest  talents.  You  will  begin 
by  sending  out  word  that  Governor  Dangerfield  has 
given  up  all  other  work  at  present  but  the  destruction  of 
the  Appleweight  gang.  These  stories  that  the  governor 
has  hidden  himself  to  dodge  certain  duties  are  all  punk 
— do  you  understand  ? — he  is  serving  the  people  as  he  has 
always  served  them,  faithfully  and  with  the  noblest  self- 
sacrifice.  That's  the  sort  of  stuff  I  want  you  to  jam  into 
the  newspapers  all  over  the  world.  And  remember — my 
name  does  not  appear  in  the  business  at  all — neither 
now  nor  hereafter." 

"But  by  the  ghost  of  John  C.  Calhoun,  don't  you  see 


242  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

that  I'm  losing  the  chance  of  my  life  in  my  own  pro 
fession?  There's  a  story  in  this  that  would  put  me  to 
the  top  and  carry  me  right  into  New  York,"  and  Col 
lins  glanced  about  for  his  suit-case,  as  though  meditating 
flight. 

"Your  appointment  has  gone  into  effect,"  said  Ard- 
more  with  finality,  "and  if  you  bolt  you  will  be  caught 
and  made  to  walk  the  plank.  And  so  far  as  your  future 
is  concerned,  you  shall  have  a  newspaper  of  your  own 
anywhere  you  please  as  soon  as  this  war  is  over." 

The  three  men  adjourned  to  the  caboose  where  Ard- 
more  told  Collins  all  that  it  seemed  necessary  for  the 
newspaper  man  to  know;  and  within  half  an  hour  the 
new  recruit  had  entered  thoroughly  into  the  spirit  of 
the  adventure,  though  his  mirth  occasionally  got  the 
better  of  him,  and  he  bowed  his  head  in  his  hands  and 
surrendered  himself  to  laughter.  Thereafter,  until  the 
six  o'clock  supper  was  ready,  he  kept  the  operator  occu 
pied.  He  sent  to  the  Palladium  a  thoroughly  plausible 
story  giving  prominence  to  the  Appleweight  case  and 
laying  stress  on  Governor  Dangerfield's  vigorous  per 
sonality  and  high  sense  of  official  responsibility.  He 
sent  queries  to  leading  journals  everywhere,  offering  ex 
clusive  news  of  the  rumored  disappearance  of  North 


THE    DUKE    OF   BALLYWINKLE        243 

Carolina's  governor.  His  campaign  of  publicity  for  the 
state  administration  was  broadly  planned,  thougH  he 
was  losing  a  great  opportunity  to  beat  the  world  with  a 
stunning  story  of  the  amazing  nerve  with  which  Ard- 
inore,  the  young  millionaire,  had  assumed  the  duties  of 
governor  of  North  Carolina  in  the  unaccountable  ab 
sence  of  Governor  Dangerfield  from  his  capital.  The 
whole  thing  was  almost  too  good  to  be  true,  and  Col 
lins  put  away  the  idea  of  flight  only  upon  realizing  the 
joyous  possibilities  of  sharing,  no  matter  how  humbly, 
in  the  fate  of  an  administration  which  was  fashioning 
the  drollest  of  card  houses.  He  did  not  know,  and  was 
not  to  know  until  long  afterward,  just  how  the  young 
master  of  Ardsley  had  leaped  into  the  breach ;  but  Ard- 
more  was  an  extraordinary  person,  whose  whims  set 
him  quite  apart  from  other  men,  and  while,  even  if  he 
escaped  being  shot,  the  present  enterprise  would  un 
doubtedly  lead  to  a  long  term  in  jail,  Collins  had 
committed  himself  to  Ardinore's  cause  and  would  be 
faithful  to  it,  no  matter  what  happened. 

Ardmore  took  Collins  more  fully  into  his  confidence 
during  the  lingering  twilight,  and  the  reporter  made 
many  suggestions  that  were  of  real  value.  Meanwhile 
Cooke's  men  brought  three  horses  from  the  depths  of  the 


244  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

> 
forest,  and  saddled  them.  Cooke  entered  the  caboose  for 

a  final  conference  with  Ardmore  and  a  last  look  at  the 
maps. 

"Too  bad,"  remarked  the  acting  governor,  "that  we 
must  wait  until  to-morrow  night  to  pick  up  the  Apple- 
weights,  but  our  present  business  is  more  important.  It's 
time  to  move,  Cooke." 

They  rode  off  in  single  file  on  the  faintest  of  trails 
through  the  woods,  Cooke  leading  and  Ardmore  and 
Collins  following  immediately  behind  him.  The  great 
host  of  summer  stars  thronged  the  sky,  and  the  moon 
sent  its  soft  effulgence  across  the  night.  They  presently 
forded  a  noisy  stream,  and  while  they  were  seeking  the 
trail  again  on  the  farther  side  an  owl  hooted  a  thousand 
yards  up  the  creek,  and  while  the  line  re-formed  Cooke 
paused  and  listened.  Then  the  owl's  call  was  repeated 
farther  off  and  so  faintly  that  Cooke  alone  heard  it.  He 
laid  his  hand  on  Ardmore's  rein: 

"There's  a  foot-trail  that  leads  along  that  creek,  and 
it's  very  rough  and  difficult  to  follow.  Half  a  mile  from 
here  there  used  to  be  a  still,  run  by  one  of  the  Apple- 
weights.  We  smashed  it  once,  but  no  doubt  they  are 
operating  again  by  this  time.  That  hoot  of  the  owl  is  a 
warning  common  among  the  pickets  put  out  by  these 


THE   DUKE    OF   BALLYWINKLE        245 

people.  Wireless  telegraphy  isn't  in  it  with  them.  Every 
Appleweight  within  twenty  miles  will  know  in  half  an 
hour  how  many  there  are  of  us  and  just  what  direction 
we  are  taking.  We  must  not  come  back  here  to-night. 
We  must  put  up  on  your  place  somewhere  and  let  them 
think,  if  they  will,  we  are  guests  of  yours  out  for  an 
evening  ride." 

"That's  all  right.  Unless  we  complete  this  job  in 
about  two  days  my  administration  is  a  fizzle/'  said  Ard- 
more,  as  they  resumed  their  march  through  the  forest. 
There  was  a  wilder  fling  to  the  roll  of  the  land  now,  but 
the  underbrush  was  better  cleared,  and  the  trail  had  be 
come  a  bridle-path  that  had  known  man's  care. 

"This  is  some  of  Paul's  work,"  said  Ardmore;  "and 
if  I  am  not  very  much  mistaken  we  are  on  my  land  now 
and  headed  straight  enough  for  the  wagon-road  that 
leads  south  beyond  the  red  bungalow.  These  roads  in 
here  were  planned  to  give  variety,  but  I  never  before 
appreciated  how  complicated  they  are." 

The  path  stretched  away  through  the  heavy  forest, 
and  they  climbed  to  a  ridge  that  commanded  a  wide 
region  that  lay  bathed  in  silver  moonlight,  so  softly 
luminous  that  it  seemed  of  the  stuff  of  shadows  made 
light.  Westward,  a  mile  distant,  lay  Ardsley,  only  a 


246  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

little  below  the  level  of  the  ridge  and  touched  with  a 
faint  purple  as  of  spring  twilight. 

Ardmore  sat  his  saddle,  quietly  contemplating  the 
great  house  that  struck  him  almost  for  the  first  time  as 
imposing.  He  felt,  too,  a  little  heartache  that  he  did 
not  quite  understand.  He  was  not  sure  whether  it  was 
the  effect  of  the  moon,  or  whether  he  was  tired,  or  what 
it  was,  though  he  thought  perhaps  the  moon  had  some 
thing  to  do  with  it.  His  own  house,  of  which  he  was 
sincerely  fond,  seemed  mistily  hung  between  heaven  and 
earth  in  the  moonlight,  a  thing  not  wholly  of  this  world ; 
and  in  his  depression  of  spirit  he  reflected  for  a  mo 
ment  on  his  own  aimless,  friendless  life;  he  knew  then 
that  he  was  lonely  and  that  there  was  a  great  void  in 
his  mind  and  heart  and  soul  and  he  knew  also  that  Jerry 
Dangerfield  and  not  the  moon  was  the  cause  of  his 
melancholy. 

"We'd  better  be  moving/'  suggested  Cooke. 

"It's  too  bad  to  leave  that  picture,"  remarked  Collins, 
sighing.  "Had  I  the  lyre  of  Gray  I  should  compose  an 
Ode  on  a  Distant  Prospect  of  Ardsley  Castle,  which 
would  ultimately  reach  the  school  readers  and  bring 
me  fame  more  enduring  than  brass." 

"Did  you  say  brass  ?"  ironically  scoffed  Cooke. 


THE    DUKE    OF   BALLYWINKLE        247 

Whereupon  the  Palladium's  late  representative 
laughed  softly  and  muttered  to  himself, 

"Proud  pile,  by  mighty  Ardmore's  hand  upreared!" 

"Cut  it  out,"  commanded  Cooke,  "or  I'll  drop  you 
into  the  ravine.  Look  below  there  I" 

Looking  off  from  the  ridge  they  saw  a  man  and  a 
woman  riding  along  a  strip  of  road  from  which  the 
timber  had  been  cut.  The  night  was  so  still,  the  gray 
light  so  subdued,  that  the  two  figures  moved  as  steadily 
and  softly  as  shadow  pictures  on  a  screen. 

The  slow  even  movement  of  the  riders  was  interrupted 
suddenly.  The  man,  who  was  nearer  the  remote  observ 
ers,  had  stopped  and  bent  toward  the  woman  as  though 
to  snatch  her  rein,  when  her  horse  threw  up  its  head  and 
fell  back  on  its  haunches.  Then  the  woman  struck  the 
man  a  blow  with  her  riding-crop,  and  galloped  swiftly 
away  along  the  white  ribbon-like  road.  In  the  perfect 
night-silence  it  was  like  a  scene  of  pantomime. 

"That's  all  right !"  cried  Cooke.  "Come  along !  We'll 
cut  into  that  road  at  the  bungalow." 

They  swung  their  horses  away  from  the  ridge  and 
back  into  the  bridle-path,  which  once  more  dipped 
sharply  down  into  heavy  timber,  Cooke  leading  the  way, 


248  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

and  three  of  the  best  hunters  known  to  the  Ardsley 
stables  flew  down  the  clear  but  winding  path.  The  inci 
dent  which  the  trio  had  witnessed  required  no  interpre 
tation:  the  girl's  blow  and  flight  had  translated  it  into 
language  explicit  enough. 

Ardmore  thanked  his  German  forester  a  thousand 
times  for  the  admirable  bridle-path  over  which  they  gal 
loped,  with  its  certain  footing  beneath  and  clean  sweep 
from  the  boughs  above.  The  blood  surged  hotly  through 
his  heart,  and  he  was  angry  for  the  first  time  in  his  life ; 
but  his  head  was  cool,  and  the  damp  air  of  the  forest 
flowing  by  tranquilized  him  into  a  new  elation  of  spirit. 
Jerry  Dangerfield  was  the  dearest  and  noblest  and  brav 
est  girl  in  the  world — he  knew  that :  and  she  was  clever 
and  resourceful  enough  to  devise  means  for  preserving 
her  father's  official  and  private  honor;  and  not  less 
quick  to  defend  herself  from  insult  from  a  titled  scoun 
drel.  She  was  the  most  inexplicable  of  girls ;  but  at  the 
same  time  she  was  beyond  any  question  the  wisest.  The 
thought  that  he  should  now  see  her  soon,  after  all  the 
years  that  had  passed  since  he  had  introduced  her  to  his 
sister  at  Raleigh,  filled  him  with  wild  delight,  and  he 
prayed  that  in  her  mad  flight  from  the  Duke  of  Bally- 
winkle  no  harm  might  come  to  her. 


THE    DUKE    OF   BALLYWINKLE        249 

The  three  men  rode  out  into  the  broad  highway  at  the 
red  bungalow  and  paused  to  listen. 

"He  hasn't  got  here  yet.  Only  one  person  has  passed 
and  these  must  be  the  tracks  of  the  girl's  horse,"  said 
Cooke,  who  had  dismounted  and  struck  matches,  the  bet 
ter  to  observe  the  faint  hoof-prints  in  the  hard  shell 
road. 

"He'll  be  along  in  a  minute.  Let  us  get  into  the 
shadow  of  the  bungalow,  and  when  he  comes  we'll  ride 
out  and  nail  him.  The  bungalow's  a  sort  of  way  house. 
I  often  stop  here  when  I'm  out  on  the  estate  and  want 
to  rest,  I  have  the  key  in  my  pocket." 

As  Ardmore's  keys  jingled  in  the  lock  Cooke  cried 
out  softly.  Their  quarry  was  riding  swiftly  toward  them, 
and  he  drew  rein  before  the  bungalow  as  Cooke  and  Col 
lins  rode  out  to  meet  him. 

"I  say,"  panted  the  duke. 

"You.  are  our  prisoner.  Dismount  and  come  into  this 
house." 

"Prisoner,  you  fool !  I'm  a  guest  at  Ardsley  and  I'm 
looking  for  a  lady." 

"That's  a  very  unlikely  story.  Collins,  help  the  gentle 
man  down;"  and  the  reporter  obeyed  instructions  with 
so  much  zeal  that  the  noble  gentleman  fell  prone,  and 


250  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

was  assisted  to  his  feet  with  a  fine  mockery  of  helpful 
ness. 

"I  tell  you  I'm  looking  for  a  lady  whose  horse  ran 
away  with  her!  Fm  the  Duke  of  Ballywinkle  and 
brother-in-law  to  Mr.  Ardmore.  I'll  have  you  sent  to  jail 
if  you  stop  me  here." 

"Come  along,  Duke,  and  we'll  see  what  you  look  like," 
said  Cooke,  leading  the  way  to  the  bungalow  veranda. 
Within  Ardmore  was  lighting  lamps.  There  was  a  long 
room  finished  in  black  oak,  with  a  fireplace  at  one  end, 
and  a  table  in  the  center.  The  floors  were  covered  with 
handsome  rugs  and  the  walls  were  hung  with  photo 
graphs  and  etchings.  Ardmore  sat  on  the  back  of  a 
leather  settee  in  a  pose  assumed  at  the  moment  of  the 
duke's  entrance.  It  was  a  pose  of  entire  nonchalance, 
and  Ardmore's  cap,  perched  on  the  back  of  his  head,  and 
his  brown  hair  rumpled  boyishly,  added  to  the  general 
effect  of  comfort  and  ease. 

The  duke  blinked  for  a  moment  in  the  lamplight,  then 
he  roared  out  joyously : 

"Ardy,  old  man !"  and  advanced  toward  his  brother- 
in-law  with  outstretched  hand. 

"Keep  him  off;  he's  undoubtedly  quite  mad,"  said 
Ardmore,  staring  coldly,  and  bending  his  riding-crop 


THE   DUKE   OF   BALLYW1NKLE 

across  his  knees.  "Collins,  please  ride  on  after  the  lady 
and  bring  her  back  this  way." 

Cooke  had  seated  the  prisoner  rather  rudely  in  a  chair, 
and  the  noble  duke,  having  lost  the  power  of  speech 
in  amazement  and  fright,  rubbed  his  eyes  and  then 
fastened  them  incredulously  on  Ardmore ;  but  there  was 
no  question  about  it,  he  had  been  seized  with  violence; 
he  had  been  repudiated  by  his  own  brother-in-law — the 
useless,  stupid  Tommy  Ardmore,  who,  at  best,  had  only 
a  child's  mind  for  pirate  stories  and  who  was  indubi 
tably  the  most  negligible  of  negligible  figures  in  the 
drama  of  life  as  the  duke  knew  it. 

"Cooke,"  began  Ardmore,  addressing  his  lieutenant 
gravely  from  his  perch  on  the  settee,  "what  is  the  charge 
against  this  person?" 

"He  says  he's  a  duke,"  grinned  Cooke,  taking  his  cue 
from  Ardmore's  manner.  "And  he  says  he's  visiting  at 
Ardsley." 

"That,"  said  Ardmore  with  decision,  "is  creditable 
only  to  the  gentleman's  romantic  imagination.  His  face 
is  anything  but  dukely,  and  there's  a  red  streak  across  it 
which  points  clearly  to  the  recent  sharp  blow  of  a 
weapon;  and  no  one  would  ever  strike  a  duke.  It's  ut 
terly  incredible,"  and  Ardmore  lifted  his  brows  and 


252  THE  LITTLE  BttOWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

leaned  back  with  his  arms  at  length  and  his  hands  clasp 
ing  the  riding-crop,  as  he  contemplated  with  supreme 
satisfaction  the  tell-tale  red  line  across  the  duke's  cheek. 

The  Duke  of  Ballywinkle  leaped  to  his  feet,  the  color 
that  suffused  his  pale  face  hiding  for  the  moment  the 
mark  of  the  riding-stick. 

"What  the  devil  is  this  joke,  Ardy?"  screamed  the 
duke.  "You  know  I'm  a  guest  at  your  house ;  you  know 
I'm  your  sister's  husband.  I  was  riding  with  Miss  Dan- 
gerfield  and  her  horse  ran  away  with  her,  and  she  may 
come  to  harm  unless  I  go  after  her.  This  cut  on  the 
face  I  got  from  a  low  limb  of  one  of  your  infernal  trees. 
You  are  putting  me  in  a  devil  of  an  embarrassing  po 
sition  by  holding  me  here." 

He  spoke  with  dignity,  and  Ardmore  heard  him 
through  in  silence ;  but  when  he  had  finished,  the  master 
of  Ardsley  pointed  to  the  chair. 

"As  I  understand  you,  you  are  pleading  not  guilty; 
and  you  pretend  to  some  acquaintance  with  me;  but  I 
am  unable  to  recall  you.  We  may  have  met  somwhere, 
sometime,  but  I  really  don't  know  you.  The  title  to 
which  you  pretend  is  unfamiliar  to  me;  but  I  will 
frankly  disclose  to  you  that  I,  sir,  am  the  governor  of 
North  Carolina/' 


THE   DUKE    OF   BALLYWINKLE        253 

"The  what  ?"  bleated  the  duke,  his  eyes  bulging. 

"I  repeat,  that  I  am  the  governor  of  North  Carolina, 
and  as  a  state  of  war  now  exists  in  my  unhappy  king 
dom,  I,  sir,  have  assumed  all  the  powers  conferred  upon 
the  three  coordinate  branches  of  government  under  the 
American  system,  namely,  or  if  you  prefer  it,  I  will 
say,  to  wit:  the  legislative,  the  executive  and  the  judi 
cial.  It  is  thus  not  only  my  privilege  but  my  painful 
duty  to  pass  upon  your  case  in  all  its  sad  aspects.  As  I 
have  already  suspended  the  writ  of  habeas  corpus  and 
set  aside  the  right  to  trial  by  jury  we  will  consider  that 
I  sit  here  as  the  supreme  court." 

"For  God's  sake,  Ardy — "  howled  the  duke. 

"That  remark  I  will  not  now  construe  as  profanity, 
but  don't  let  it  occur  again.  The  first  charge  against  you 
is  that  of  insulting  a  woman  on  the  Sunset  Trail  in  the 
estate  called  Ardsley,  owned  by  a  person  known,  in  law 
as  Thomas  Ardmore.  There  are  three  witnesses  to  Hie 
fact  that  you  tried  to  stop  a  woman  in  the  road,  and  that 
streak  on  your  face  is  even  more  conclusive.  Are  you 
guilty  or  not  guilty?" 

"You  are  mad  !  You  are  crazy  I"  shouted  the  duke ; 
but  his  face  was  very  white  now,  and  the  mark  of  the 
crop  flamed  scarlet. 


254  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

"You  are  guilty,  beyond  any  question.  But  the  fur 
ther  charge  against  you  that  you  pretend  to  be — what 
did  he  say  his  name  was,  Cooke  ? — that  you  pretend  to 
be  the  Duke  of  Ballywinkle  must  now  be  considered. 
That  is  quite  right,  is  it ;  you  say  you  are  the  Duke  ?" 

"Yes ;  you  fool !"  howled  the  duke.  "I'll  have  the  law 
on  you  for  this !  I'll  appeal  to  the  British  ambassador." 

"I  advise  you  not  to  appeal  to  anybody,"  said  Ard- 
more,  "and  the  British  ambassador  is  without  jurisdic 
tion  in  North  Carolina.  You  have  yourself  asserted  that 
you  are  the  Duke  of  Ballywinkle.  Why  Ballywinkle? 
Why  not  Argyll;  why  not  Westminster?  Why  not,  if 
duke  you  must  be,  the  noble  Duke  of  York?" 

The  Duke  of  Ballywinkle  sat  staring,  stupefied.  The 
whole  thing  was  one  of  his  silly  brother-in-law's  stupid 
jokes;  there  was  no  question  of  that;  and  Tommy 
Ardmore  was  always  a  bore ;  but  in  spite  of  the  comfort 
he  derived  from  these  reflections  the  duke  was  not  a 
little  uneasy;  for  he  had  never  seen  his  brother-in-law 
in  just  this  mood,  and  he  did  not  like  it.  Ardmore  was 
carrying  the  joke  too  far ;  and  there  was  an  assurance  in 
Ardmore's  tone,  and  a  light  in  Ardmore's  eyes  that  were 
ominous.  Cooke  had  meanwhile  lighted  his  pipe  and 
was  calmly  smoking  until  his  chief  should  have  his  fling. 


THE   DUKE   OF  BALLYWINKLE        255 

Ardmore  now  drew  from  his  pocket  Johnston's 
American  Politics  with  an  air  of  greatest  seriousness. 

"Cooke,"  he  said,  half  to  himself  as  he  turned  the 
pages,  "do  you  remember  just  what  the  constitution  says 
about  dukes  ?  Oh,  yes ;  here  we  are !  Now,  Mr.  Duke  of 
Ballywinkle,  listen  to  what  it  says  here  in  Section  IX  of 
the  Constitution  of  the  United  States,  which  reads  ex 
actly  as  follows  in  this  book :  'No  title  of  nobility  shall 
be  granted  by  the  United  States :  And  no  person  hold 
ing  any  office  of  profit  or  trust  under  them,  shall,  with 
out  the  consent  of  the  Congress,  accept  of  any  present, 
emolument,  office,  or  title,  of  any  kind  whatever,  from 
any  king,  prince,  or  foreign  state.'  And  it  says  in  Sec 
tion  X  that  'No  state  shall  grant  any  title  of  nobility/ 
Now,  Mr.  Ballywinkle,  it  is  perfectly  clear  that  this  gov 
ernment  can't  recognize  anything  that  it  can't  create,  for 
that  would  be  foolish.  As  I,  the  governor  of  North  Caro 
lina,  can't  make  a  duke,  I  can't  see  one.  You  are  there 
fore  wholly  illegal;  it's  against  the  most  sacred  law  of 
the  land  for  you  to  be  here  at  all ;  and,  painful  though  it 
is  to  me,  it  is  nevertheless  my  duty  to  order  you  to  leave 
the  United  States  at  once,  never  to  return.  In  fact,  if 
you  ever  appear  in  the  United  States  again,  I  hereby 
order  that  you  be  hanged  by  the  neck  until  you  be  dead. 


256  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

One  of  Mr.  Cooke's  men  will  accompany  you  to  New 
York  to-morrow  and  eee  to  it  that  you  take  passage  on  a 
steamer  bound  for  a  British  port.  The  crime  of  having 
insulted  a  woman  will  still  hang  over  you  until  you  are 
well  east  of  Sandy  Hook,  and  I  advise  you  not  to  risk 
being  tried  on  that  charge  in  North  Carolina,  as  my 
people  are  very  impulsive  and  emotional  and  lynchings 
are  not  infrequent  in  our  midst.  You  shall  spend  to 
night  in  my  official  caboose  some  distance  from  here, 
and  your  personal  effects  will  be  brought  from  Ardsley, 
where,  you  have  said,  you  are  a  guest  of  Mr.  Thomas 
Ardmore,  who  is  officially  unknown  to  me.  The  su 
preme  court  will  now  adjourn." 

Cooke  pulled  the  limp,  bewildered  duke  to  his  feet, 
and  dragged  him  from  the  bungalow. 

As  they  stepped  out  on  the  veranda  Collins  rode  up 
in  alarm. 

"I  followed  this  road  to  a  cross-road  where  it  be 
comes  a  bridle-path  and  runs  off  into  the  forest.  There  I 
lost  all  trace  of  the  lady,  but  here  is  her  riding-crop." 

"Cooke,  take  your  prisoner  to  the  caboose;  and  Col 
lins,  come  with  me,"  commanded  Ardmore;  and  a  mo 
ment  later  he  and  the  reporter  rode  off  furiously  in 
search  of  Jerry  Dangerfield. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

MISS   DANGERFIELD  TAKES   A   PRISONER 

A  dozen  men  carrying  rifles  across  their  saddle-bows 
rode  away  from  Habersham's  farm  on  the  outskirts  of 
Turner  Court  House  and  struck  a  rough  trail  that  led 
a  devious  course  over  the  hills.  At  their  head  rode  the 
guide  of  the  expedition — a  long  silent  man  on  a  mule. 
Griswold  and  Habersham  followed  immediately  behind 
him  on  horseback.  Their  plans  had  been  carefully  ar 
ranged  before  they  left  their  rendezvous,  and  save  for 
an  occasional  brief  interchange  between  the  prosecuting 
attorney  and  the  governor's  special  representative,  the 
party  jogged  on  in  silence.  Habersham's  recruits  were, 
it  may  be  said,  farmers  of  the  border,  who  had  awaited 
for  years  just  such  an  opportunity  as  now  offered  to 
avenge  themselves  upon  the  insolent  Appleweights. 
Nearly  every  man  of  the  party  had  some  private  score 
to  settle,  but  they  had  all  been  sworn  as  special  con 
stables  and  were  sobered  by  the  knowledge  that  the 
power  of  the  state  of  South  Carolina  was  back  of  them. 

257 


258  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

Thus,  at  the  very  hour  that  Mr.  Ardmore  and  his  lieu 
tenants  rode  away  from  the  lonely  anchorage  of  the  ca 
boose,  Professor  Griswold  and  his  cavalcade  set  out  for 
Mount  Nebo  Church.  While  the  master  of  Ardsley  was 
revenging  himself  upon  the  Duke  of  Ballywinkle,  his 
dearest  friend,  against  whom  he  had  closed  the  doors  of 
his  house,  was  losing  no  time  in  setting  forth  upon  a 
mission  which,  if  successful,  would  seriously  interfere 
with  all  Mr.  Ardmore's  hopes  and  plans.  Ardmore's 
scarlet  fever  telegram  no  longer  rankled  in  the  breast 
of  the  associate  professor  of  admiralty  of  the  Uni 
versity  of  Virginia,  for  Griswold  knew  that  no  matter 
what  might  be  the  outcome  of  his  effort  to  uphold  the 
dignity  of  the  sovereign  state  of  South  Carolina,  his  par 
ticipation  in  any  such  adventure  would  so  cover  his 
friend  with  envy  that  he  would  have  him  forever  at  his 
mercy.  Thomas  Ardsley  deserved  punishment — there 
was  no  doubt  of  that,  and  as  Professor  Griswold  was  not 
more  or  less  than  a  human  being,  he  took  comfort  of  the 
reflection. 

The  guide  of  the  expedition  pushed  his  mule  forward 
at  a  fast  walk,  making  no  excuses  to  Griswold  and 
Habersham  for  the  roughness  of  the  trails  he  chose,  nor 
troubling  to  give  warning  of  sharp  turns  where  a  horse, 


MISS  DANGERFIELD  TAKES  A  PRISONER    259 

being  less  wise  than  a  mule,  tobogganed  madly  before 
finding  a  foothold.  Occasionally  a  low  hanging  limb 
switched  the  associate  professor  sharply  across  the  face, 
but  his  temper  continued  serene  where  the  trail  was 
darkest  and  steepest,  and  he  found  himself  ignoring 
Habersham's  occasional  polite  questions  about  the  uni 
versity  in  his  effort  to  summon  up  in  memory  certain 
ways  of  Barbara  Osborne  which  baffled  him.  He  de 
plored  the  time  he  had  given  to  the  study  of  a  stupid 
profession  like  the  law,  when,  if  he  had  applied  himself 
with  equal  diligence  to  poetry,  he  might  have  made  for 
himself  a  place  at  least  as  high  in  belles-lettres.  In  his 
college  days  he  had  sometimes  thrummed  a  guitar,  and 
there  was  a  little  song  in  his  heart,  half  formed,  and 
with  only  a  line  or  two  as  yet  tangible,  which  he  felt 
sure  he  could  write  down  on  paper  if  it  were  not  that  the 
bugles  summoned  him  to  war ;  it  was  a  song  of  a  white 
rose  which  a  lover  wore  in  his  heart,  through  winter  and 
summer,  and  it  never  changed,  and  the  flight  of  the  sea 
sons  had  no  manner  of  effect  on  it. 

"Check  up,  cain't  you  ?"  snarled  the  man  on  the  mule, 
laying  hold  of  Griswold's  rein;  and  thus  halted,  Gris- 
wold  found  that  they  had  been  circling  round  a  curi 
ously  symmetrical,  thickly  wooded  hill,  and  had  finally 


2GO  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG-  AT  KILDARB 

come  to  a  clearing  whence  they  were  able  to  gaze  far  off 
toward  the  north. 

"We  are  almost  out  of  bounds,"  said  Habersham, 
pointing.  "Over  there  somewhere,  across  the  hills,  lies 
North  Carolina.  I  am  as  thoroughly  lost  as  you  can 
possibly  be;  but  these  men  know  where  they  are.  How 
far  is  it,  Billy" — he  addressed  the  silent  guide — "to 
Mount  Nebo?" 

"About  four  mile,  and  I  reckon  we'd  better  let  out  a 
leetle  now  or  they'll  sing  the  doxology  before  we  git 
thar." 

"What's  that  light  away  off  there?"  asked  Habersham. 

The  guide  paused  to  examine  it,  and  the  faint  glow 
far  down  the  vale  seemed  to  perplex  him.  He  spoke  to 
one  or  two  other  natives  and  they  viewed  the  light  rumi- 
natively,  as  is  their  way. 

"Thet  must  be  on  Ardmore's  land,"  said  the  leader 
finally.  "It  shoots  out  all  sorts  o'  ways  round  hyeh,  and 
I  reckon  thet's  about  wheh  Raccoon  Creek  cuts 
through." 

"That's  very  likely,"  said  Habersham.  "I've  seen  the 
plat  of  what  Ardmore  owns  on  this  side  the  border  at 
the  court  house,  and  I  remember  that  there's  a  long 
strip  in  Mingo  County  that  is  Ardsley  land.  Ardmore 


MISS  DANGERFIELD  TAKES  A  PRISONER    261 

has  houses  of  one  kind  and  another  scattered  all  over  the 
estate  and  those  lights  may  be  from  one  of  them.  You 
know  the  place,  don't  you  ?" 

"Yes;  I've  visited  there/'  admitted  Griswold.  "But 
we'd  better  give  it  a  wide  berth.  The  whole  estate  is 
simply  infested  with  scarlet  fever.  They're  quaran 
tined." 

"I  guess  that's  a  joke,"  said  Habersham.  "There's  a 
big  party  on  there  now,  and  I  have  seen  some  of  the 
guests  in  Turner's  within  a  day  or  two." 

"Within  how  many  days?"  demanded  Griswold,,  his 
heart  sinking  at  the  thought  that  Ardmore  had  lied  to 
him  to  keep  him  away  from  Ardsley — from  Arclmore's 
house !  The  thought  of  it  really  hurt  him  now.  Could  it 
be  possible  that  Ardmore  had  guests  so  distinguished 
that  he,  Griswold,  was  not  worthy  to  make  their  ac 
quaintance  !  He  experienced  a  real  pang  as  he  thought 
that  here  he  was,  within  a  short  ride  of  the  home  of  his 
dearest  friend,  the  man  whom  most  he  loved  of  all  men, 
and  that  he  had  been  denied  the  door  of  that  friend's 
house. 

"Come  on !"  called  Habersham. 

Half  the  company  rode  ahead  to  gain  the  farther  side 
of  the  church;  the  remainder,  including  Griswold  and 


262  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

Habersham,  soon  dismounted  and  tied  their  horses  oul 
of  sight  of  the  country  road  which  they  had  latterly  been 
following. 

"We  are  in  plenty  of  time,"  said  Habersham,  looking 
at  his  watch.  "The  rest  of  the  boys  are  closing  in  fron 
the  other  side  and  they  will  be  ready  for  Appleweighl 
when  he  finishes  his  devotions.  We've  been  studying  th( 
old  man's  habits  and  he  has  a  particular  place  where  h( 
ties  his  horse  back  of  the  church.  It's  a  little  apan 
from  the  fence  where  most  of  the  congregation  hitch 
and  he  chose  it,  no  doubt,  because  in  case  of  a  surprise 
he  would  have  plenty  of  room  for  maneuvering.  Twc 
men  are  going  to  lay  for  him,  seize  and  gag  him  anc 
carry  him  into  the  wood  back  of  the  church;  and  thei 
we're  off  across  the  state  line  to  lock  him  up  in  jail  a' 
Kildare  and  give  Governor  Dangerfield  the  shock  of  his 
life." 

"It  sounds  simple  enough;  but  it  won't  be  long  be 
fore  Appleweight's  friends  miss  him.  You  must  remem 
ber  that  they  are  a  shrewd  lot." 

"We've  got  to  take  our  chances.  Let's  hope  we  art 
as  shrewd  as  they  are,"  replied  Habersham. 

They  moved  softly  through  the  wood  and  present!] 
the  faint  sound  of  singing  reached  them. 


MISS  DANGERFIELD  TAKES  A  PRISONER   263 

"Old  Rabdick  has  finished  his  sermon  and  we'll  know 
the  worst  in  a  few  minutes." 

One  of  the  party  had  already  detached  himself  and 
crept  forward  toward  the  church,  to  meet  his  appointed 
comrade  in.  the  enterprise,  who  was  to  corne  in.  from  the 
other  side. 

The  clapboard  church  presented  in  the  moonlight  the 
austerest  outlines,  and  as  the  men  waited,  a  rude 
though  unseen  hand  was  slamming  the  wooden  shutters 
that  protected  the  windows  from  impious  violence. 

"We  could  do  with  less  moon,"  muttered  Habersham, 
as  he  and  Griswold  peered  through  the  trees  into  the 
churchyard. 

"There  goes  Bill  Appleweight  now/'  whispered  one  of 
the  natives  at  his  elbow,  and  Griswold  felt  his  heart 
beats  quicken  as  he  watched  a  tall  figure  silhouetted 
against  the  church  and  moving  swiftly  toward  the  rear 
of  the  building.  At  the  front  of  the  church  voices 
sounded,  as  the  departing  worshipers  rode  or  drove 
slowly  away. 

Habersham  laid  his  hand  suddenly  on  Griswold's  arm. 

"They've  got  him !  They've  nailed  him !  See!  There! 
They're  yanking  him  back  into  the  timber.  They've 
taken  him  and  his  horse !" 


264  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

Griswold  saw  nothing  but  a  momentary  confusion  of 
shadows,  then  perfect  silence  hung  over  the  woods  be 
hind  the  little  church.  The  congregation  was  slowly 
dispersing,  riding  away  in  little  groups.  Suddenly  a 
voice  called  out  in  the  road  a  hundred  yards  beyond  the 
church : 

"Hey  there!    Where's  Bill ?" 

"Oh,  he's  gone  long  ago !"  yelled  another. 

In  a  moment  more  the  church  door  slammed  and  a 
last  figure  rode  rapidly  away. 

"Now  we'll  see  what's  happened,"  said  Habersham. 
"It  looks  almost  too  easy." 

The  members  of  Griswold's  party  who  had  been 
thrown  round  to  the  farther  side  of  the  church  began 
to  appear,  one  at  a  time.  There  was  no  nervousness 
among  any  of  the  band — a  fact  that  impressed  Griswold. 
They  were  all  risking  much  in  this  enterprise,  but  they 
were  outwardly  unperturbed,  and  chewing  their  tobacco 
silently  while  they  awaited  the  return  of  the  two  active 
agents  in  the  conspiracy  who  had  dealt  directly  with 
Appleweight.  Habersham  counted  heads,  and  announced 
all  present  or  accounted  for. 

The  tall  leader  who  had  ridden  the  mule  was  the  first 
to  rise  out  of  the  underbrush,  through  which  he  had 


MISS  DANGERFIELD  TAKES  A  PRISONER   265 

crawled  circuitously  from  the  rear  of  the  church.  His 
companion  followed  a  few  seconds  later. 

"We've  got  Bill,  all  tied  and  gagged  and  a-settin'  of 
his  hoss,"  drawled  the  leader,  "and  the  hoss  is  tied  to 
the  back  fence.  Rest  o'  his  boys  thought  he'd  gone 
ahead,  but  they  may  miss  him  and  come  back.  He's 
safe  enough,  and  ef  we  keep  away  from  him  we'll  be 
ready  to  light  out  ef  the  gang  scents  trouble  and  comes 
back  to  look  fer  Bill." 

"You're  sure  he's  tied  up  so  he  can't  break  away  or 
yell?" 

"He's  as  good  as  dead,  a-settin'  of  his  hoss  in  the 
thicket  back  theh." 

"And  now,"  said  Habersham,  "what  we've  got  to  do  is 
to  make  a  run  for  it  and  land  him  across  the  border, 
and  stick  him  into  a  North  Carolina  jail,  where  he  right 
fully  belongs.  The  question  is,  can  we  do  it  all  in  one 
night,  or  had  we  better  lock  him  up  somewhere  on  this 
side  the  line  and  take  another  night  for  it?  The  sheriff 
over  there  in  Kildare  is  Appleweight's  cousin,  but  we'll 
lock  him  up  with  Bill,  to  make  a  family  party  of  it." 

"We'd  better  not  try  too  much  to-night,"  counseled 
Griswold.  "It's  a  big  thing  to  have  the  man  himself. 
If  it  were  not  for  the  matter  of  putting  Governor  Dan- 


266  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

gerfield  in  a  hole,  Fd  favor  hurrying  with  Apple  weight 
to  Columbia,  just  for  the  moral  effect  of  it  on  the  people 
of  South  Carolina,  We'd  make  a  big  killing  for  the  ad 
ministration  that  way,  Habersham." 

"Yes,  you'd  make  a  killing  all  right,  but  you'd  have 
Bill  Appleweight  on  your  hands,  which  Governor  Os- 
borne  has  not  until  lately  been  anxious  for/'  replied 
Habersham,  in  a  low  tone  that  was  heard  by  no  one  but 
his  old  preceptor. 

"You'd  better  get  over  the  idea  that  we're  afraid  of 
this  outlaw,"  rejoined  Griswold.  "The  governor  of 
North  Carolina  dare  not  call  his  soul  his  own  where 
these  hill  people  are  concerned;  but  the  governor  of 
South  Carolina  is  a  different  sort." 

"The  governor  of  North  Carolina  is  filling  the  news 
papers  with  his  own  virtuous  intentions  in  the  matter," 
remarked  Habersham,  "but  his  sudden  zeal  puts  one 
upon  inquiry." 

"I  hope  you  don't  imply  that  the  motives  of  the  gov 
ernor  of  South  Carolina  are  not  the  worthiest?"  de 
manded  Griswold  hotly. 

"Most  certainly  not !"  returned  the  prosecuting  attor 
ney;  but  a  smile  flitted  across  his  face — a  smile  which, 
in  the  darkness,  Griswold  did  not  see.  "The  two  gov- 


MISS  DANGERFIELD  TAKES  A  PRISONER   267 

ernors  are  very  different  men — wholly  antipodal  charac 
ters,  in  fact,"  and  again  Habersham  smiled  to  himself. 

While  they  thus  stood  on  South  Carolina  soil,,  waiting 
for  the  safe  and  complete  dispersion  of  the  Mount  Nebo 
congregation  before  seizing  the  captive  they  had  gagged 
and  tied  at  the  rear  of  the  little  church,  the  fates  were 
ordering  a  very  different  termination  of  the  night's  busi 
ness. 

Miss  Jerry  Dangerfield,  galloping  away  from  the 
Duke  of  Ballywinkle,  with  no  thought  but  to  widen  the 
distance  between  them,  turned  off  at  the  first  cross-road, 
which  began  well  enough,  but  degenerated  rapidly  into 
a  miserable  trail,  through  which  she  was  obliged  to  walk 
her  horse.  Before  she  was  aware  of  it  she  was  in  the 
midst  of  a  clearing  where  laborers  had  lately  been  cut 
ting  timber,  and  she  found,  on  turning  to  make  her  way 
out,  that  she  was  quite  lost,  for  three  trails,  all  seeming 
ly  alike,  struck  off  into  the  forest.  She  spoke  aloud 
to  the  horse  to  reassure  herself,  and  smiled  as  she 
viewed  the  grim  phalanx  of  stumps.  She  must,  how 
ever,  find  her  way  back  to  Ardsley,  for  there  were 
times  when  Jerry  Dangerfield  could  be  very  serious 
with  herself,  though  it  rarely  pleased  her  to  be  serious 
with  other  people ;  and  she  knew  that  the  time  had  long 


268  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDAHE 

passed  for  her  return  to  the  house.  If  her  conspiracy 
with  Thomas  Ardmore  had  proved  successful,  the  duke 
would  not  return  to  the  great  house ;  but  her  own  pro 
longed  absence  was  something  that  had  not  been  in  her 
program. 

She  did  not  know  then  that  three  men  had  witnessed 
her  flight  from  the  duke,  or  that  they  had  taken  swift 
vengeance  upon  him  for  his  unpardonable  conduct  in 
the  moon-blanched  road.  It  was  not  Jerry's  way  to 
accept  misfortune  tamely,  and  after  circling  the  wall  of 
timber  that  shut  her  in,  in  the  hope  of  determining 
where  she  had  entered,  she  chose  a  trail  at  random  and 
plunged  into  the  woods.  She  assumed  that  probably  all 
the  roads  and  paths  on  the  estate  led  more  or  less  di 
rectly  to  the  great  house  or  to  some  lodge  or  bungalow. 
She  had  lost  her  riding-crop  in  her  mad  flight,  and  she 
broke  off  a  switch,  tossing  its  leaves  into  the  moonlight 
and  laughing  softly  as  they  rained  about  her. 

Jerry  began  whistling  gently  to  herself,  for  she  had 
never  been  lost  before,  and  it  is  not  so  bad,  when  you 
have  a  good  horse,  a  fair  path,  sweet  odorous  woods  and 
the  moon  to  keep  you  company.  She  forded  a  brook 
that  was  silver  to  eye  and  ear,  and  let  her  horse  stand 
midway  of  it  for  joy  in  the  sight  and  sound.  She  had 


MISS  DANGERFIELD  TAKES  A  PRISONER   269 

kept  no  account  of  time,  but  rather  imagined  that  it  had 
not  been  more  than  half  an  hour  since  the  Duke  of 
Bally  winkle  left  her  so  unceremoniously. 

Suddenly  ahead  of  her  through  the  woods  floated  the 
sound  of  singing — one  of  those  strange,  wavering  pieux 
cantiques  peculiar  to  the  South.  She  rode  on,  thinking 
to  find  help  and  a  guide  back  to  Ardsley;  then  the 
music  ceased,  and  lights  now  flashed  faintly  before  her, 
but  she  went  forward  guardedly. 

"Fm  much  more  lost  than  I  thought  I  was,  for  I  must 
be  away  off  the  estate,"  she  reflected.  She  turned  and 
rode  back  a  few  rods  and  dismounted,  and  tied  her  horse 
to  a  sapling.  She  was  disappointed  at  not  finding  a 
camp  of  Ardmore's  wood-cutters,  to  whom  she  would 
unhesitatingly  have  confided  herself ;  but  it  seemed  wise 
now  to  exercise  caution  in  drawing  to  herself  the  atten 
tion  of  strangers.  She  did  not  know  that  she  had  crossed 
the  state  line  and  was  in  South  Carolina,  or  that  the 
singing  she  had  heard  floated  from  the  windows  of 
Mount  Nebo  Church. 

She  became  now  the  astonished  witness  of  a  series 
of  incidents  that  occurred  so  swiftly  as  fairly  to  take  her 
breath  away.  A  tall,  loosely  articulated  man  came  from 
the  direction  of  the  church  and  walked  toward  her.  She 


270  THE  LITTLE  BROWX  JUG  AT  KILDAHE 

knelt  at  the  tree  and  watched,  the  moonlight  giving  her 
a  clear  view  of  a  rustic  somewhat  past  middle  age,  whose 
chief  characteristics  seemed  to  be  a  grizzled  beard  and 
long  arms  that  swung  oddly  at  his  side.  The  brim  of 
his  wool  hat  was  turned  up  sharply  from  his  forehead, 
and  she  had  a  glimpse  of  the  small,  keen,  gray  eyes  with 
which  he  swept  the  forest  before  him.  He  freed  a  horse 
which  she  had  not  before  noticed,  and  she  concluded 
that  he  would  not  approach,  nearer,  for  she  expected 
him  to  mount  and  ride  away  to  join  others  of  the  con 
gregation  whom  she  heard  making  off  in  a  road  beyond 
the  church.  Then,  with  a  quickness  and  deftness  that 
baffled  her  eyes,  two  men  rose  beside  him  just  as  he  was 
about  to  mount;  there  was  no  outcry  and  no  sound  of 
scuffling,  so  quick  was  the  descent  and  so  perfect  the 
understanding  between  the  captors.  In  a  moment  the 
man  was  gathered  up,  bound,  and  flung  on  his  saddle. 
She  had  a  better  view  of  him,  now  that  he  was  hatless, 
though  a  gag  had  been  forced  into  his  mouth  and  a 
handkerchief  tied  over  his  eyes,  so  that  he  presented  a 
grotesque  appearance.  Jerry  was  so  absorbed  that  she 
forgot  to  be  afraid ;  never  in  her  life  had  she  witnessed 
anything  so  amazing  as  this;  and  now,  to  her  more 
complete  bewilderment,  the  captors,  after  carefully  in- 


K 
M 


I 


MISS  DANGEBFIBLD  TAKES  A  PRISONER   271 

specting  their  work  and  finding  it  satisfactory,  seemed 
to  disappear  utterly  from  the  face  of  the  earth. 

In  the  woods  to  her  left  she  thought  she  heard  a  horse 
neigh;  then  she  saw  shadows  moving  in  that  direction; 
and  again,  from  the  road,  she  heard  the  brief  debate  of 
the  two  men  as  to  the  whereabouts  of  "Bill";  and  it 
struck  Jerry  humorously  that  he  would  not  soon  see  his 
friends  unless  they  came  and  helped  him  out  of  his 
predicament. 

It  may  help  to  an  understanding  of  Miss  Jerry  Dan- 
gerfield's  character  if  it  is  recorded  here  that  never  in 
her  short  life  had  she  failed  to  respond  to  the  call 
of  impulse.  She  was  lost  in  the  woods,  and  strange 
men  lurked  about;  a  man  had  been  attacked,  seized, 
and  left  sitting  in  a  state  of  absurd  helplessness  on 
a  horse  presumably  his  own,  and  there  was  no  guess 
ing  what  dire  penalty  his  captors  had  in  store  for  him. 
He  certainly  looked  deliciously  funny  as  he  sat  there  in 
the  shadows,  vigorously  twisting  his  arms  and  head  in 
an  effort  to  free  himself. 

Quiet  reigned  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  church ;  the 
lights  had  blinked  out;  the  bang  of  the  closing  shutters 
reassured  Jerry,  and  she  crept  on  her  knees  toward  the 
unconscious  captive,  loosed  his  horse's  rein  and  led  it 


272  THE  LITTLE  BKOWN  JUG  AT  KILDAEE 

rapidly  toward  her  own  horse,  a  little  farther  back  in 
the  woods.  Her  blindfolded  prisoner,  thinking  his 
original  captors  were  carrying  him  off,  renewed  his 
efforts  to  free  himself.  He  tested  the  ropes  and  straps 
with  which  he  was  fastened  by  throwing  himself  first  to 
one  side,  then  to  the  other,  as  far  as  his  gyves  would 
permit,  at  the  same  time  frothily  chewing  his  gag. 

Jerry  gained  her  own  saddle  in  the  least  bit  of  a  panic, 
and  when  she  had  mounted  and  made  sure  of  the  lead 
ing-strap  with  which  her  prisoner's  horse  was  pro 
vided,  she  rode  on  at  a  rapid  walk  until  she  reached 
the  clearing,  where  the  stumps  again  grimly  mocked 
her.  She  stopped  to  listen,  and  heard  through  the  still 
night  first  one  cry  and  then  many  voices  in  various  keys 
of  alarm  and  rage.  Then  she  bent  toward  the  prisoner, 
tore  the  bandage  from  his  eyes,  and  with  more  difficulty 
freed  him  of  the  gag.  He  blinked  and  spluttered  at  this 
unexpected  deliverance,  then  blinked  and  spluttered 
afresh  at  seeing  that  his  captor  was  a  young  woman, 
who  was  plainly  not  of  his  world.  Jerry  watched  him 
wonderingly,  then  addressed  him  in  her  most  agreeable 
tone. 

"You  were  caught  and  tied  by  two  men  over  there  by 
a  church.  I  saw  them,  and  when  they  went  off  and  left 


MISS  DANGERFIELD  TAKES  A  PRISONER 

you,  I  came  along  and  brought  you  with  me,  thinking 
to  save  your  life.  I  want  to  get  home  as  quickly  as 
possible,  and  though  I  do  not  know  you,  and  am  quite 
sure  we  never  met  before,  I  hope  you  will  kindly  guide 
me  to  Ardsley,  and  thereby  render  me  a  service  I  shall 
always  deeply  appreciate/' 

Mr.  Bill  Appleweight,  alias  Poteet,  was  well  hardened 
to  the  shocks  of  time,  but  this  pleasant-voiced  girl, 
coolly  sitting  her  horse,  and  holding  his  own  lank  steed 
by  a  strap,  was  the  most  amazing  human  being  that  had 
yet  dawned  on  his  horizon.  He  was  not  stupid,  but 
Jerry's  manner  of  speech  had  baffled  more  sophisticated 
minds  than  Appleweight's,  and  the  sweet  sincerity  of 
her  tone,  and  her  frank  countenance,  hallowed  as  it  was 
by  the  moonlight,  wrought  in  the  outlaw's  mind  a  be- 
fuddlement  not  wholly  unlike  that  which  had  possessed 
the  wits  of  many  young  gallants  south  of  the  Potomac 
who  had  laid  siege  to  Jerry  Dangerfield's  heart.  But 
the  cries  behind  them  were  more  pronounced,  and  Apple- 
weight  was  nothing  if  not  a  man  of  action. 

"Take  these  things  oif'n  me,"  he  commanded  fiercely, 
"and  I'll  see  y'  safe  to  Ardsley." 

"Not  in  the  least,"  replied  Jerry,  who  was  herself  not 
unmindful  of  the  voices  behind.  "You  will  kindly  tell 


274  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

me  the  way,  and  I  will  accommodate  my  pace  to  that  of 
your  own  somewhat  ill-nourished  beast.  And  as  there's 
a  mob  looking  for  you  back  there,  all  ready  to  hang  you 
to  one  of  these  noble  forest  trees,  1  advise  you  to  use 
more  haste  and  less  caution  in  pointing  the  way." 

Appleweight  lifted  his  head  and  took  his  bearings. 
Then  he  nodded  toward  one  of  the  three  trails  which 
had  so  baffled  Jerry  when  first  she  broke  into  the  clear 
ing. 

"Thet's  the  nighest,"  said  Appleweight,  "and  we'd 
better  git." 

She  set  the  pace  at  a  trot,  and  was  relieved  in  a  few 
minutes  to  pass  one  or  two  landmarks  which  she  re 
membered  from  her  flight  through  the  woods.  As  they 
splashed  through  the  brook  she  had  forded,  she  was  quite 
confident  that  the  captive  was  playing  her  no  trick,  but 
that  in  due  course  she  should  strike  the  highroad  to 
Ardsley  which  she  had  abandoned  to  throw  off  the  Duke 
of  Ballywinkle. 

It  was  now  ten  o'clock,  and  the  moon  was  sinking  be 
hind  the  forest  trees.  Jerry  took  advantage  of  an  occa 
sional  straight  strip  of  road  to  go  forward  at  a  gallop, 
but  these  stretches  did  not  offer  frequently,  and  the  two 
riders  kept  pretty  steadily  to  a  smart  trot.  They  pre- 


MISS  DANGERFIELD  TAKES  A  PRISONER   275 

sented  a  droll  picture  as  they  moved  through  the  forest 
— the  girl,  riding  cross-saddle,  with  the  stolen  captive 
trailing  after.  Occasionally  Mr.  Appleweight  seemed  to 
be  talking  to  himself,  but  whether  he  was  praying  or 
swearing  Jerry  did  not  trouble  herself  to  decide.  It 
was  enough  for  her  that  she  had  found  a  guide  out  of 
the  wilderness  by  stealing  a  prisoner  from  his  enemies, 
and  this  was  amusing,  and  sent  bubbling  in  her  heart 
those  quiet  springs  of  mirth  that  accounted  for  so  much 
in  Jerry  Dangerfield. 

As  they  walked  their  horses  through  a  bit  of  sand,  the 
prisoner  spoke : 

"Who  airy'u,  little  gal?" 

Jerry  turned  in  the  saddle,  so  that  Appleweight  en 
joyed  a  full  view  of  her  face. 

"I  am  perfectly  willing  to  tell  you  my  name,  but  first 
it  would  be  more  courteous  for  you  to  tell  me  yours, 
particularly  as  I  am  delivering  you  from  a  band  of  out 
laws  who  undoubtedly  intended  to  do  you  harm/' 

"I  reckon  they  air  skeered  to  foller  us,  gal.  They  air 
afeard  to  tackle  th'  ole  man,  onless  they  jump  in  two  t' 
one ;  and  they  cain't  tell  who  helped  me  git  away." 

He  laughed — a  curious,  chuckling  laugh.  He  had 
ceased  to  struggle  at  his  bonds,  but  seemed  resigned  to 


276  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDAEE 

his  strange  fate.  He  had  not  answered  Jerry's  question, 
and  had  no  intention  of  doing  so.  The  sudden  attack  at 
the  church  had  aroused  all  his  cunning.  Appleweight, 
alias  Poteet,  was  an  old  wolf,  and  knew  well  the  ways  of 
the  trapper ;  but  the  bold  attempt  to  kidnap  him  was  a 
new  feature  of  the  game  as  heretofore  played  along  the 
border.  He  did  not  make  it  out ;  nor  was  he  wholly  sat 
isfied  with  the  girl's  explanation  of  her  own  presence  in 
that  out-of-the-way  place.  She  might  be  a  guest  at 
Ardsley,  as  she  pretended,  but  women  folk  were  rarely 
seen  on  the  estate,  and  never  in  such  remote  corners  of 
it  as  Mount  Nebo  Church.  As  he  pondered  the  matter, 
it  seemed  incredible  that  this  remarkable  young  person, 
whose  innocence  was  so  beguiling,  should  be  in  any  way 
leagued  with  his  foes. 

He  had  several  times  called  out  directions  as  they 
crossed  other  paths  in  the  forest,  and  they  now  reached 
the  main  trunk  road  of  the  estate.  The  red  bungalow, 
Jerry  knew,  was  not  far  away.  Her  prisoner  spoke 
again. 

"Little  gal,  I'm  an  ole  man,  and  I  hain't  never  done 
y'u  no  harm.  Your  haouse  is  only  a  leetle  way  up  thar, 
and  I  cain't  be  no  more  use  to  y'u.  I  want  f  go  home, 
and  if  y'u'll  holp  me  ontie  this  yere  harness — "  and  he 


MISS  DANGERFIELD  TAKKS  A  PRISONER   277 

grinned  as  he  viewed  his  bonds  in  the  fuller  light  of  the 
open  road. 

Then  hoof-beats  thumped  the  soft  earth  of  another 
of  the  trails  that  converged  at  this  point,  and  Ardmore 
and  Collins  flashed  out  upon  Jerry  and  her  captive, 
amid  a  wild  panic  of  horses. 

Appleweight  twisted  and  turned  in  his  saddle  but 
Jerry  instantly  held  up  her  hand  and  arrested  the  in 
quiries  of  her  deliverers. 

"Mr.  Ardmore,  this  gentleman  was  most  rudely  set 
upon  by  two  strangers  as  he  was  leaving  a  church  over 
there  somewhere  in  the  woods.  I  was  lost,  and  as  his 
appearance  at  the  time  and  place  seemed  almost  provi 
dential,  I  begged  him  to  guide  me  toward  home,  which 
he  has  most  courteously  done,"  and  Jerry,  to  give  the 
proper  touch  to  her  explanation,  twitched  the  strap  by 
which  she  held  her  prisoner's  horse,  so  that  it  danced, 
adding  a  fresh  absurdity  to  the  wobbling  figure  of  its 
bound  rider. 

<fYou  are  safe!"  cried  Ardmore  in  a  low  tone,  to 
which  Jerry  nodded  carelessly,  in  a  way  that  directed 
attention  to  the  more  immediate  business  at  hand.  He 
was  not  at  once  sure  of  his  cue,  but  there  seemed  to  be 
something  familiar  in  the  outlines  of  the  man  on  horse- 


278  THE  LITTLE  BROWN"  JUG  AT  K1LDARE 

back,  and  full  identification  broke  upon  him  now  with 
astounding  vividness. 

"Jugs,"  he  began,  addressing  the  prisoner  smilingly, 
"dear  old  Jugs,  to  think  we  should  meet  again !  Since 
you  handed  me  that  jug  on  the  rear  end  of  the  train,  a 
few  nights  ago,  life  has  had  new  meanings  for  me,  and 
Fm  just  as  sorry  as  can  be  that  I  gave  you  the  butter 
milk.  I  wouldn't  have  done  such  a  thing  for  billions 
in  real  money.  And  now  that  you  have  fallen  into  the 
excellent  hands  of  Miss  Dangerfield — " 

"Dangerfield  I"  screamed  the  prisoner,  lifting  himself 
as  high  in  the  saddle  as  his  bonds  would  permit. 

"Certainly,"  replied  Ardmore.  "Your  rescuer  is  none 
other  than  Miss  Geraldine  Dangerfield." 

"Why,  gal,"  began  the  outlaw,  "ef  your  pa's  the  guv*- 
nor  of  No'th  Caroline,  him  an'  me's  old  frien's." 

"Then  will  you  kindly  tell  me  your  name?"  asked 
Jerry. 

"Allow  me  to  complete  the  introductions,"  inter 
rupted  Collins,  who  had  hung  back  in  silence.  "Unless 
my  eyes  deceive  me,  which  is  wholly  improbable,  thi&  is 
a  gentleman  whom  I  once  interviewed  in  the  county 
jail  at  Ealeigh,  and  he  was  known  at  that  time  as 
William  Appleweight,  alias  Poteet." 


MISS  DANGERFIELD  TAKES  A  PRISONER   279 

"You  air  right,"  admitted  the  prisoner  without  hesi 
tation,  and  then,  addressing  Jerry:  "Yer  pa  would  be 
glad  to  know  his  dorter  had  helped  an  ole  f  rien'  like  me, 
gal.  Ye  may  hev  heard  him  speak  o'  me." 

"But  how  about  that  message  in  the  cork  of  the  jug 
you  put  on  the  train  at  Kildare  ?"  demanded  Ardmore. 
"And  why  did  you  send  your  brother  to  try  to  scare  me 
to  death  at  Raleigh?" 

"That  is  not  the  slightest  importance,"  interrupted 
Jerry,  gently  playing  with  the  tether  which  held  Mr. 
Appleweight;  "nor  does  it  matter  that  papa  and  this 
gentleman  are  friends.  If  this  is,  indeed,  the  famous 
outlaw,  Mr.  William  Appleweight,  then,  papa  or  no 
papa,  friend  or  no  friend,  he  is  a  prisoner  of  the  state  of 
North  Carolina." 

"Prisoner !"  bawled  Appleweight, — "an?  you  the  guv'- 
nor*s  gal — " 

"You  have  hit  the  situation  exactly,  Mr.  Appleweight ; 
and  as  far  as  the  office  of  governor  is  concerned,  it  is 
capably  filled  by  the  young  gentleman  on  your  left,  Mr. 
Thomas  Ardmore.  Let  us  now  adjourn  to  his  house, 
where,  if  I  am  not  mistaken,  a  bit  of  cold  fowl  is  usu 
ally  to  be  found  on  the  sideboard  at  this  hour.  But 
hold" —  and  Jerry  checked  her  horse — "where  can  we 


280  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KJLDARB 

lodge  this  gentleman,  Mr.  Ardmore,  until  we  decide 
upon  his  further  fate  ?" 

"We  might  put  him  in  the  wine  cellar,"  suggested 
Ardmore. 

"No/*  interposed  Collins.  "I  fancy  that  much  of  your 
fluid  stock  has  paid  revenue  tax,  and  most  of  it  has 
passed  none  too  lightly  through  the  custom-house.  It 
would  be  unwarrantably  cruel  to  lock  Mr.  Appleweight 
in  such  quarters,  with  the  visible  marks  of  taxation  all 
around  him.  Still,  the  sight  of  the  stamps  would  prob 
ably  destroy  his  thirst,  though  his  rugged  independence 
might  so  far  assert  itself  that  he  would  smash  a  few  of 
your  most  expensive  importations  out  of  sheer  deviltry." 

"He  shall  be  treated  with  the  greatest  consideration," 
said  Jerry,  and  thereafter,  no  further  adventure  befall 
ing  them,  they  reached  Ardsley,  where  their  arrival 
occasioned  the  greatest  excitement. 


CHAPTEE   XIV 

A    MEETING   OF   OLD   FRIENDS 

Habersham's  men  had  proved  exceedingly  timid  when 
it  came  to  the  business  of  threshing  the  woods  for  Apple- 
weight,  whom  they  regarded  with  a  new  awe,  now  that 
he  had  vanished  so  mysteriously.  They  had  searched 
the  woods  guardedly,  but  the  narrow  paths  that  led 
away  into  the  dim  fastnesses  of  Ardsley  were  forbidding, 
and  these  men  were  not  without  their  superstitions. 
They  had  awaited  for  years  an  opportunity  to  strike  at 
the  Appleweight  faction;  they  had  at  last  taken  their 
shot,  and  had  seemingly  brought  down  their  bird;  but 
their  lack  of  spirit  in  retrieving  the  game  had  been 
their  undoing.  They  had  only  aroused  their  most  for 
midable  enemy,  who  would  undoubtedly  lose  no  time  in 
seeking  revenge.  They  were  a  dolorous  band  who,  after 
warily  beating  the  woods,  dispersed  in  the  small  hours 
of  the  morning,  having  found  nothing  but  Appleweight's 
wool  hat,  which  only  added  to  their  mystification. 

"We  ought  to  have  taken  him  away  on  the  run/'  said 
281 


282  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

Habersham  bitterly,  as  he  and  Griswold  discussed  the 
matter  on  the  veranda  of  the  prosecutor's  house  and 
watched  the  coming  of  the  dawn.  "I  didn't  realize  that 
those  fellows  lived  in  such  mortal  terror  of  the  old  man ; 
but  they  refused  to  make  off  with  him  until  the  last  of 
his  friends  had  got  well  out  of  the  way.  I  ought  to 
have  had  more  sense  myself  than  to  have  expected  the 
old  fox  to  sit  tied  up  like  a  calf  ready  for  market.  We 
had  all  his  friends  accounted  for — those  that  weren't  at 
prayer  meeting  were  marked  down  somewhere  else,  and 
we  had  a  line  flung  pretty  well  round  the  church.  Ap- 
pleweight's  deliverance  must  have  come  from  somewhere 
inside  the  Ardmore  property.  Perhaps  the  game  warden 
picked  him  up/' 

"Perhaps  the  Indians  captured  him,"  suggested  Gris 
wold,  yawning,  "or  maybe  some  Martian  came  down  on 
a  parachute  and  hauled  him  up.  Or,  as  scarlet  fever  is 
raging  at  Mr.  Ardmore's  castle," — and  his  tone  was 
icy — "Appleweight  was  probably  seized  all  of  a  sudden, 
and  broke  away  in  his  delirium.  Let's  go  to  bed." 

At  eight  o'clock  he  and  Habersham  rode  into  Turner 
Court  House,  and  Griswold  went  at  once  to  the  inn  to 
change  his  clothes.  No  further  steps  could  be  taken 
until  some  definite  report  was  received  as  to  Apple- 


A   MEETING   OF    OLD    FKIENDS        283 

weight's  whereabouts.  The  men  who  had  attempted  the 
outlaw's  capture  had  returned  to  their  farms,  and  were 
most  demurely  cultivating  the  soil.  Griswold  was  thor 
oughly  disgusted  at  the  ridiculous  failure  of  Haber- 
sham's  plans,  and  not  less  severe  upon  himself  for  failing 
to  push  matters  to  a  conclusion  the  moment  the  outlaw 
was  caught,  instead  of  hanging  back  to  await  the  safe 
dispersion  of  the  Mount  Xebo  congregation. 

It  had  been  the  most  puerile  transaction  possible,  and 
he  was  aware  that  a  report  of  it,  which  he  must  wire  at 
once  to  Miss  Barbara  Osborne,  would  not  impress  that 
young  woman  with  his  capacity  or  trustworthiness  in 
difficult  occasions.  The  iron  that  had  already  entered 
into  his  soul  drove  deeper.  He  had  ordered  a  fresh 
horse,  and  was  resolved  to  return  to  Mount  Nebo  Church 
for  a  personal  study  of  the  ground  in  broad  daylight. 

As  he  crossed  the  musty  parlor  of  the  little  hotel,  to 
his  great  astonishment  Miss  Osborne's  black  Phoebe, 
stationed  where  her  eyes  ranged  the  whole  lower  floor  of 
the  inn,  drew  attention  to  herself  in  an  elaborate 
courtesy. 

"Miss  Barb'ra  wish  me  t'  say  she  done  come  heah  on 
business,  and  she  like  fo'  to  see  yo'  all  right  away.  She 
done  bring  huh  seddle,  and  war  a-gwine  ridin'  twell  you 


284  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

come  back.  She's  a-gittin'  ready,  and  I'll  go  tell  huh. 
you  done  come.  She  got  a  heap  o'  trubble,  thet  young 
missis,  so  she  hev,"  and  the  black  woman's  pursed  lips 
seemed  to  imply  that  Professor  Griswold  was  in  some 
measure  responsible  for  Miss  Osborne's  difficulties. 

As  he  stared  out  into  the  street  a  negro  brought  a 
horse  bearing  a  better  saddle  than  Mingo  County  had 
ever  boasted,  and  hitched  it  near  the  horse  he  had  secured 
for  himself.  An  instant  later  he  heard  a  quick  step 
above,  and  Miss  Osborne,  sedately  followed  by  the  black 
woman,  came  down-stairs.  She  smiled  and  greeted  him 
cordially,  but  there  was  trouble  in  her  brown  eyes. 

"I  didn't  warn  you  of  my  coming.  I  didn't  want  to 
be  a  nuisance  to  you ;  but  there's  a  new — a  most  unac 
countable  perplexity.  It  doesn't  seem  right  to  burden 
you  with  it — you  have  already  been  so  kind  about  help 
ing  me;  but  I  dare  not  turn  to  our  oldest  friends — I 
have  been  afraid  to  trust  father's  friends  at  all  since 
Mr.  Bosworth  acted  so  traitorously  " 

"My  time  is  entirely  at  your  service,  Miss  Osborne; 
but  I  have  a  shameful  report  to  make  of  myself.  I  must 
tell  you  how  miserably  I  have  failed,  before  you  trust 
me  any  further.  We — that  is  to  say,  the  prosecuting 
attorney  of  this  county  and  a  party  he  got  together  of 


A   MEETING   OF    OLD    FRIENDS        285 

Appleweight's  enemies — caught  the  outlaw  last  night — 
took  him  with  the  greatest  ease — but  he  got  away  from 
us !  It  was  all  my  fault,  and  I'm  deeply  disgusted  with 
myself!" 

He  described  the  capture  and  the  subsequent  mysteri- 
ous  disappearance  of  Appleweight,  and  confessed  the 
obvious  necessity  for  great  caution  in  further  attempts 
to  take  the  outlaw,  now  that  he  was  on  guard.  Barbara 
laughed  reassuringly  at  the  end  of  the  story. 

"Those  men  must  have  felt  funny  when  they  went 
back  to  get  the  prisoner  and  found  that  he  had  gone  up 
into  the  air.  But  there's  a  new  feature  of  the  case  that's 
more  serious  than  the  loss  of  this  man — "  and  the 
trouble  again  possessed  her  eyes. 

"Well,  it's  better  not  to  have  our  problems  too  simple. 
Any  lawyer  can  win  an  easy  case — though  I  seem  to  have 
lost  my  first  one  for  you,"  he  added  penitently. 

She  made  no  reply,  but  drew  from  her  purse  a  cut 
ting  from  a  newspaper  and  handed  it  to  him. 

"That's  from  last  night's  Columbia  Vidette,  which  is 
very  hostile  to  my  father." 

He  was  already  running  over  the  heavily  leaded  col 
umn  that  set  forth  without  equivocation  the  fact  that 
Governor  Osborne  had  not  been  in  Columbia  since  he 


286  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

went  to  New  Orleans.  It  scouted  the  story  that  he  was 
abroad  in  the  state  on  official  business  connected  with 
the  Appleweight  case — the  yarn  which  Griswold  had 
forced  upon  the  friendly  reporter  at  the  telegraph  office 
in  Columbia.  The  governor  of  a  state,  the  Vidette  went 
on  to  elaborate,,  could  not  vanish  without  leaving  some 
trace  of  himself,  and  a  Vidette  representative  had  traced 
the  steps  of  Governor  Osborne  from  New  Orleans  until 
— the  italics  are  the  Vidette's — he  had  again  entered 
South  Carolina  under  cover  of  night  and  for  purposes 
which,  for  the  honor  of  the  state,  the  Vidette  hesitated 
to  disclose. 

The  writer  of  the  article  had  exhausted  the  possibili 
ties  of  gentle  suggestion  and  vague  innuendo  in  an  effort 
to  create  an  impression  of  mystery  and  to  pique  curiosity 
as  to  further  developments,  which  were  promised  at  any 
hour.  Griswold's  wrath  was  aroused,  not  so  much 
against  the  newspaper,  which  he  assumed  had  some  fire 
for  its  smothered  trifle  of  smoke,  but  against  the  gov 
ernor  of  South  Carolina  himself,  who  was  causing  the 
finest  and  noblest  girl  in  the  world  infinite  anxiety  and 
pain. 

"The  thing  is  preposterous,"  he  said  lightly.  "The 
idea  that  your  father  would  attempt  to  enter  his  own 


A   MEETING   OF    OLD    FRIENDS        287 

state  surreptitiously  is  inconceivable  in  these  days  when 
public  men  are  denied  all  privacy,  and  when  it's  any 
man's  right  to  deceive  the  press  if  he  finds  it  essential 
to  his  own  comfort  and  peace ;  but  the  intimation  that 
your  father  is  in  South  Carolina  for  any  dishonorable 
purpose  is  preposterous.  One  thing,  however,  is  certain, 
Miss  Osborne,  and  that  is  that  we  must  produce  your 
father  at  the  earliest  possible  moment." 

"But" — and  Barbara  hesitated,  and  her  eyes,  near 
tears  as  they  were,  wrought  great  havoc  in  Gris  wold's 
soul — "but  father  must  not  be  found  until  this  Apple- 
weight  matter  is  settled.  You  understand  without  mak 
ing  me  speak  the  words — that  he  might  not  exactly  view 
the  matter  as  we  do." 

It  was  a  painful  subject;  and  the  fact  that  she  was 
driven  by  sheer  force  of  circumstances  to  appeal  to  him, 
a  stranger,  to  aid  her  to  perform  a  public  service  in  her 
father's  name  rallied  all  his  good  impulses  to  her  stand 
ard.  It  was  too  delicate  a  matter  for  discussion ;  it  was 
a  thing  to  be  ignored ;  and  he  assumed  at  once  a  lighter 
tone. 

"Come !  We  must  solve  the  riddle  of  the  lost  prisoner 
at  once,  and  your  father  will  undoubtedly  give  an  ex 
cellent  account  of  himself  when  he  gets  ready.  Mean- 


288  THE  LITTLE  SHOWN  JUG  AT  KILDAKE 

while  the  fiction  that  he  is  personally  carrying  the  war 
into  the  Appleweight  country  must  he  maintained,  and 
I  shall  step  to  the  railway  station  and  wire  the  Columbia 
newspaper  in  his  name  that  he  is  in  Mingo  County  on 
the  trail  of  the  outlaws." 

The  messages  were  composed  by  their  joint  efforts  at 
the  station,  with  not  so  much  haste  but  that  an  associate 
professor  of  admiralty,  twenty-nine  years  old,  could 
defer  in  the  most  trifling  matters  to  the  superior  literary 
taste  of  a  girl  of  twenty  whose  brown  eyes  were  very 
pleasant  to  meet  in  moments  of  uncertainty  and  appeal. 

He  signed  the  messages  Charles  Osborne,  Governor, 
with  a  flourish  indicative  of  the  increased  confidence 
and  daring  which  Miss  Osborne's  arrival  had  brought  to 
the  situation. 

"And  now,"  said  Griswold,  as  they  rode  through  the 
meager  streets  of  Turner's,  "we  will  go  to  Mount  K"ebo 
Church  and  see  what  we  can  learn  of  Appleweight's 
disappearance." 

"The  North  Carolina  papers  are  making  a  great  deal 
of  Governor  Dangerfield's  activity  in  trying  to  put  down 
outlawry  on  the  border,"  said  Barbara.  "Marked  copies 
of  the  newspapers  are  pouring  into  papa's  office.  I  can 
but  hold  Mr.  Bosworth  responsible  for  that.  We  may 


A   MEETING   OF    OLD    FRIENDS 

count  upon  it  that  he  will  do  all  in  his  power  to  annoy 
us" — and  then,  as  Griswold  looked  at  her  quickly,  he 
was  aware  that  she  had  colored  and  averted  her  eyes; 
and  while,  as  a  lawyer,  he  was  aware  that  words  of  two 
letters  might  be  provocative  of  endless  litigation  of  the 
bitterest  sort,  he  had  never  known  before  that  us,  in 
itself  the  homeliest  of  words,  could  cause  so  sweet  a  dis 
tress.  It  seemed  that  an  interval  of  several  years  passed 
before  either  spoke  again. 

"We  are  quite  near  the  estate  of  your  friend,  Mr.  Ard- 
more,  aren't  we  ?"  asked  Barbara  presently. 

"I  fancy  we  are,"  replied  Griswold,  but  with  a  tone  so 
coldly  at  variance  with  his  previous  cordial  references 
to  the  master  of  Ardsley  that  Barbara  looked  at  him 
inquiring^. 

"I'm  sorry  that  I  should  have  given  you  the  impres 
sion,  Miss  Osborne,  that  Mr.  Ardmore  and  I  are  friends, 
as  I  undoubtedly  did  at  Columbia.  He  has,  for  some 
unaccountable  reason,  cut  my  acquaintance  in  a  manner 
so  unlike  him  that  I  do  not  pretend  to  explain  it;  nor, 
I  may  add,  is  it  of  the  least  importance." 

"I  was  a  little  surprised,"  returned  Barbara,  with 
truly  feminine  instinct  for  mingling  in  the  balm  of  con 
solation  the  bitterest  and  most  poisonous  herbs,  "that 


290  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

you  should  have  had  for  a  friend  a  man  who  frankly 
follows  girls  whose  appearance  he  fancies.  Even  Mr. 
Ardmore's  democratic  enthusiasm  for  the  down-trodden 
laundry  girl  does  not  wholly  mitigate  the  winking 
episode." 

"He  had,  only  a  few  days  ago,  invited  me  to  visit  him, 
though  I  had  been  to  his  house  so  often  that  the  obscur 
est  servant  knew  that  I  was  privileged  even  beyond  the 
members  of  Mr.  Ardmore's  own  family  in  my  freedom 
of  the  place.  When  I  saw  that  his  house  would  be  a  con 
venient  point  from  which  to  study  the  Appleweight  situ 
ation,  I  wired  him  that  I  was  on  the  way,  and  to  my 
utter  amazement  he  replied  that  he  could  not  entertain 
me — that  scarlet  fever  was  epidemic  on  the  estate — on 
those  almost  uncounted  acres !" 

And  with  a  gulp  and  a  mist  in  his  eyes,  Griswold 
drew  rein  and  pointed,  from  a  hill  that  had  now  borne 
them  to  a  considerable  height,  toward  Ardsley  itself, 
dreamily  basking  in  the  bright  morning  sunlight  within 
its  cincture  of  hills,  meadows  and  forest. 

"I  never  saw  the  place  before!  It's  perfectly  splen 
did  I"  cried  Barbara,  forgetting  that  Griswold  must  be 
gazing  upon  it  with  the  eyes  of  an  exile  viewing  grim, 
forbidding  battlements  that  once  hailed  him  in  welcome. 


A   MEETING   OF    OLD    FKIENDS        291 

"If  s  one  of  the  most  interesting  houses  in  America," 
observed  Griswold,  who  strove  at  all  times  to  be  just. 

"There's  a  flag  flying — I  can't  make  out  what  it  is," 
said  Barbara, 

"It's  probably  to  give  warning  of  the  scarlet  fever ;  it 
would  be  like  Ardy  to  do  that.  But  we  must  hurry  on 
to  Mount  Nebo." 

He  knew  the  ways  of  Ardsley  thoroughly;  better,  in 
fact,  than  its  owner  ever  had  in  old  times;  but  in  his 
anger  at  Ardmore  he  would  not  set  foot  on  the  estate  if 
he  could  possibly  avoid  doing  so  in  reaching  the  scene 
of  the  night's  contretemps.  He  found  without  difficulty 
the  trail  taken  by  Habersham's  men,  and  in  due  course 
of  time  they  left  their  horses  a  short  distance  from  the 
church  and  proceeded  on  foot. 

"It  seems  all  the  stupider  in  broad  daylight,"  said 
Griswold,  after  he  had  explained  just  what  had  oc 
curred,  and  how  the  captors,  in  their  superstitious  awe 
of  Appleweight,  had  been  afraid  to  carry  him  off  the 
moment  they  were  sure  of  him,  but  had  slipped  back 
among  their  fellows  to  wait  until  the  coast  was  per 
fectly  clear.  To  ease  his  deep  chagrin  Barbara  laughed 
a  good  deal  at  the  occurrence  as  they  tramped  over 
the  scene  discussing  it.  They  went  into  the  woods  back 


292  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

of  the  church,  where  Griswold  began  to  exercise  his 
reasoning  powers. 

"Some  one  must  have  come  in  from  this  direction 
and  freed  the  man  and  taken  him  away,"  he  declared. 

He  knelt  and  marked  the  hoof-prints  where  Apple- 
weight  had  been  left  tied;  but  the  grass  here  was 
much  trampled,  and  Griswold  was  misled  by  the  fact, 
not  knowing  that  news  of  Appleweight's  strange  dis 
appearance  had  passed  among  the  outlaw's  friends  by 
the  swift  telegraphy  of  the  border,  and  that  the  whole 
neighborhood  had  been  threshed  over  hours  before.  It 
might  have  been  some  small  consolation  to  Griswold  had 
he  known  that  Appleweight's  friends  and  accomplices 
were  as  much  at  a  loss  to  know  what  had  become  of  the 
chieftain  as  the  men  who  had  tried  so  ineffectually  to 
kidnap  him.  From  the  appearance  of  the  trampled 
grass  many  men  had  taken  a  hand  in  releasing  the 
prisoner,  and  this  impression  did  not  clarify  matters  for 
Griswold. 

"Where  does  this  path  lead  ?"  asked  Barbara. 

"This  is  Ardsley  land  here,  this  side  of  the  church, 
and  that  trail  leads  on,  if  I  remember,  to  the  main 
Ardsley  highway,  with  which  various  other  roads  are 
connected — many  miles  in  all.  It's  inconceivable  that 


A  MEETING   OF   OLD    FRIENDS        293 

the  deliverers  of  this  outlaw  should  have  taken  him  into 
the  estate,  where  a  sort  of  police  system  is  maintained 
by  the  forestry  corps.  I  don't  at  all  make  it  out." 

He  went  off  to  explore  the  heavy  woods  on  each  side 
of  the  trail  that  led  into  Ardsley,  but  without  result. 
When  he  came  gloomily  back  he  found  that  in  his  ab 
sence  Barbara  had  followed  the  bridle-path  for  a  consid 
erable  distance,  and  she  held  out  to  him  a  diminutive 
pocket  handkerchief,  which  had  evidently  been  snatched 
away  from  its  owner — so  Barbara  explained — by  a  low- 
hanging  branch  of  an  oak,  and  flung  into  a  blackberry 
bush,  where  she  had  found  it.  It  was  a  trifle,  indeed, 
the  slightest  bit  of  linen,  which  they  held  between  them 
by  its  four  corners  and  gravely  inspected. 

"Feminine,  beyond  a  doubt,"  pronounced  Griswold 
sagely. 

"It's  a  good  handkerchief,  and  here  are  two  initials 
worked  in  the  corner  that  may  tell  us  something — CG. 
D.'  It  probably  belongs  to  some  guest  at  Ardsley.  And 
there's  a  very  faint  suggestion  of  orris — it's  a  city  hand 
kerchief,"  said  Barbara  with  finality,  "but  it  has  suf 
fered  a  trifle  in  the  laundry,  as  this  edge  is  the  least  bit 
out  of  drawing  from  careless  ironing." 

"And  I  should  say,  from  a  certain  crispness  it  still 


294  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

retains,  that  it  Jiasn't  been  in  the  forest  long.  It  hasn't 
been  rained  on,  at  any  rate/'  added  Griswold. 

"But  even  the  handkerchief  doesn^t  tell  us  anything," 
said  Barbara,  spreading  it  out,  "except  that  some  woman 
visitor  has  ridden  here  within  a  few  days  and  played 
drop  the  handkerchief  with  herself  or  somebody  else  to 
us  unknown." 

"She  may  have  been  a  scarlet  fever  patient  from 
Ardsley ;  you'd  better  have  a  care  I"  And  Griswold's  tone 
was  bitter. 

"I'm  not  afraid;  and  as  I  have  never  been  so  near 
Ardsley  before,  I  should  like  to  ride  in  and  steal  a 
glimpse.  There's  little  danger  of  meeting  the  lord  of 
the  manor,  I  suppose,  or  any  of  his  guests  at  this  hour, 
and  we  need  not  go  near  the  house." 

He  saw  that  she  was  really  curious,  and  it  was  not  in 
his  heart  to  refuse  her,  so  they  followed  the  bridle-path 
through  the  cool  forest,  and  came  in  due  course  to  the 
clearing  where  Jerry  had  first  confessed  herself  lost, 
and  thereafter  had  suffered  the  captured  outlaw  to  point 
her  the  way  home. 

"The  timber  has  been  cut  here  since  my  last  visit,  but 
I  remember  the  bridle-paths  very  well.  They  all  reach 
the  highroad  of  the  estate  ultimately.  We  may  safely 


A   MEETING    OF    OLD    FRIENDS        295 

take  this  one,  which  has  been  the  most  used  and  which 
climbs  a  hill  that  gives  a  fine  outlook." 

The  path  he  chose  had  really  been  beaten  into  better 
condition  than  either  of  the  others,  and  they  rode  side 
by  side  now.  A  deer  feeding  on  a  grassy  slope  raised  its 
head  and  stared  at  them,  and  a  fox  scampered  wildly 
before  them.  It  seemed  that  they  were  shut  in  from  all 
the  world,  these  two,  who  but  a  few  days  before  had  nev 
er  seen  each  other,  and  it  was  a  relief  to  him  to  find  that 
she  threw  off  her  troubles  and  became  more  animated 
and  cheerful  than  he  had  yet  seen  her.  His  comments  on 
her  mount,  which  was  sorry  enough,  were  amusing;  and 
she  paused  now  and  then  to  peer  into  the  tops  of  the 
tallest  trees,  under  the  pretense  that  Appleweight  had 
probably  reverted  to  the  primordial  and  might  be  found 
at  any  minute  in  one  of  the  branches  above  them.  Her 
dark  green  habit,  and  the  soft  hat  to  match,  with  its  lit 
tle  feather  thrust  into  the  side,  spoke  for  real  usage ;  and 
the  gauntleted  hand  that  swung  lightly  at  her  side  inad 
vertently  brushed  his  own  once — and  he  knew  that  this 
must  not  happen  again!  When  their  eyes  met  it  was 
with  frank  confidence  on  her  part,  and  it  seemed  to  him 
that  they  were  very  old  friends,  and  that  they  had  been 
riding  through  this  forest,  or  one  identical  with  it,  since 


296  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

the  world  began.  It  is  thus  that  a  man  with  any 
imagination  feels  first  about  a  woman  who  begins  to 
interest  him — that  there  was  never  any  beginning  to 
their  acquaintance  that  can  be  reckoned  as  time  and 
experience  are  measured,  but  that  he  has  known  her 
for  countless  years;  and  if  there  be  a  poetic  vein  in 
him,  he  will  indulge  in  such  fancies  as  that  he  has  seen 
her  as  a  priestess  of  Aphrodite  in  the  long  ago,  dream 
ing  upon  the  temple  steps;  or  tljat  he  has  watched  her 
skipping  pebbles  upon  the  violet  storied  sea  against  a 
hazy  background  of  cities  long  crumbled  into  dust.  Such 
fancies  as  these  are  a  part  of  love's  gentle  madness,  and 
luckier  than  she  knows  is  the  girl  who  awakens  in  a 
lover  this  eager  idealization.  If  he  can  turn  a  verse  for 
her  in  which  she  is  added  to  the  sacred  Nine,  personify 
ing  all  sweet,  gentle  and  gracious  things,  so  much 
the  better. 

Just  what  he,  on  the  other  hand,  may  mean  to 
her;  just  what  form  of  deification  he  evokes  in  her, 
he  can  never  know;  for  the  women  who  write  of  such 
matters  have  never  beep  those  who  are  sincere  or 
worth  heeding,  and  they  never  will  be,  so  long  as 
woman's  heart  remains  what  it  has  been  from  the  be 
ginning — far-hidden,  and  filled  with  incommunicable 


A   MEETING   OF    OLD    FE1ENDS        297 

secret  beliefs  and  longings,  and  tremulous  with  fears 
that  are  beyond  man's  power  to  understand. 

Griswold  had  missed  the  white  rose  that  he  had  begun 
to  associate  with  Barbara,  and  he  grew  suddenly  daring 
and  spoke  of  it. 

"You  haven't  your  rose  to-day  .w 

"Oh,  I'm  beyond  the  source  of  supply!  I  have  a 
young  friend,  a  girl,  who  makes  her  living  as  a  florist — 
not  a  purely  commercial  enterprise,  for  she  experiments 
and  develops  new  varieties,  and  is  quite  wonderful ;  and 
that  white  rose  is  her  own  creation — it  is  becoming  well 
known.  She  named  it  for  me,  and  she  sends  me  at  least 
one  every  day — she  says  it's  my  royalty — if  that's  what 
you  lawyers  call  that  sort  of  thing." 

"We  lawyers  rarely  have  anything  so  interesting  as 
that  to  apply  the  word  to !  So  that  rose  is  the  Barbara?" 
and  it  gave  him  a  feeling  of  recklessness  to  find  him 
self  speaking  her  name  aloud.  "There  are  large  con 
servatories  on  the  estate,  over  there  somewhere ;  I  might 
risk  the  scarlet  fever  by  attacking  tlio  gardener  and  de 
manding  a  Barbara  for  you." 

"I'm  afraid  my  little  flower  hasn't  attained  to  the 
grandeur  of  Ardsley,"  she  laughed,  "'But  pray,  where 
are  we?" 


298  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

They  had  reached  the  highroad  much  sooner  than 
Griswold  had  expected,  and  he  checked  his  horse 
abruptly,  remembering  that  he  was  persona  non  grata 
on  this  soil. 

"We  must  go  back ;  I  mustn't  be  seen  here.  The  work 
men  are  scattered  all  about  the  place,  and  they  all  know 
me." 

"Oh,  just  a  little  farther !  I  want  to  see  the  towers 
of  the  castle !" 

If  she  had  asked  him  to  jump  into  the  sea  he  would 
not  have  hesitated ;  and  he  was  so  happy  at  being  with 
her  that  his  heart  sang  defiance  to  Ardmore  and  the 
splendors  of  Ardsley. 

They  were  riding  now  toward  the  red  bungalow, 
where  he  had  often  sprawled  on  the  broad  benches  and 
chaffed  with  Ardmore  for  hours  at  a  time.  Tea  was 
served  here  sometimes  when  there  were  guests  at  the 
house;  and  Griswold  wondered  just  who  were  included 
in  the  party  that  his  quondam  friend  was  entertaining, 
and  how  Mrs.  Atchison  was  progressing  in  her  efforts  to 
effect  a  match  between  Daisy  Waters  and  her  brother. 

The  drives  were  nearly  all  open  to  the  public,  so  that 
by  the  letter  of  the  law  he  was  no  intruder ;  but  beyond 
the  bungalow  he  must  not  go.  Sobered  by  the  thought 


A   MEETING   OF    OLD    FE1ENDS        299 

of  his  breach  with  Ardmore,  he  resolved  not  to  pass  the 
bungalow  whose  red  roof  was  now  in  sight 

"It's  like  a  fairy  place,  and  I  feel  that  there  can  be  no 
end  to  it/'  Barbara  was  saying.  "But  it  isn't  kind  to 
urge  you  in.  We  certainly  are  doing  nothing  to  find 
Appleweight,  and  it  must  be  nearly  noon." 

It  was  just  then — he  vividly  recalls  the  moment — as 
Griswold  felt  in  his  waistcoat  for  his  watch — that  Miss 
Jerry  Dangerfield,  with  Thomas  Ardmore  at  her  side, 
galloped  into  view.  They  were  racing  madly,  like  irre 
sponsible  children,  and  bore  boisterously  down  upon  the 
two  pilgrims. 

Jerry  and  Ardmore,  hatless  and  warm,  were  pardon 
ably  indignant  at  thus  being  arrested  in  their  flight,  and 
the  master  of  Ardsley,  feeling  for  once  the  dignity  of 
his  proprietorship,  broke  out  stormily. 

"I  would  have  you  know — I  would  have  you  know — " 
he  roared,  and  then  his  voice  failed  him.  He  stared ;  he 
spluttered ;  he  busied  himself  with  his  horse,  which  was 
dancing  in  eagerness  to  resume  the  race.  He  quieted 
the  beast,  which  nevertheless  arched  and  pawed  like  a 
war-horse,  and  then  the  master  of  Ardsley  bawled : 

"Grissy !    I  say,  Grissy !" 

Miss  Osborne  and  Professor  Griswold,  on  their  droop- 


300  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  IULDARE 

ing  Mingo  County  nondescripts,,  made  a  tame  picture 
before  Ardmore  and  his  fair  companion  on  their  Ardsley 
hunters.  The  daughter  of  the  governor  of  South  Caro 
lina  looked  upon  the  daughter  of  the  governor  of  Xorth 
Carolina  with  high  disdain,  and  it  need  hardly  be  -said 
that  this  feeling,  as  expressed  by  glacial  glances,  was 
evenly  reciprocal,  and  that  in  the  contemptuous  upward 
tilt  of  two  charming  chins  the  nicest  judgment  would 
have  been  necessary  to  any  fair  opinion  as  to  which 
state  had  the  better  argument. 

The  associate  professor  of  admiralty  was  known  as  a 
ready  debater,  and  he  quickly  returned  his  former 
friend's  salutation,  and  in  much  the  contumelious  tone 
he  would  haye  used  in  withering  an  adversary  before  a 
jury. 

"Pardon  me,  but  are  you  one  of  the  employees  here  ?" 

"Why,  Grissy,  old  man,  don't  look  at  me  like  that! 
How  did  you — " 

"I  owe  your  master  an  apology  for  riding  upon  his 
property  at  a  time  when  pestilence  is  giving  you  cause 
for  so  much  concern.  The  death-rate  from  scarlet  fever 
is  deplorably  high — " 

"Oh,  Grissy !"  cried  Ardmore. 

"You  have  addressed  me  familiarly,  by  a  nickname 


A   MEETING    OF    OLD    FRIENDS        301 

sometimes  used  by  intimate  friends,,  though  I  can't  for 
the  life  of  me  recall  you.  I  want  you  to  know  that  I 
am  here  in  an  official  capacity,  on  an  errand  for  the 
state  of  South  Carolina/' 

Miss  Dangerfield's  chin,  which  had  dropped  a  trifle, 
pointed  again  into  the  blue  ether. 

'Ton  will  pardon  me/'  she  said,  "but  an  agent  of  the 
state  of  South  Carolina  is  far  exceeding  his  powers  when 
he  intrudes  upon  North  Carolina  soil." 

"The  state  of  South  Carolina  does  what  it  pleases  and 
goes  where  it  likes,''  declared  Miss  Barbara  Osborne 
warmly,  whereupon  Mr.  Ardmore,  at  a  glance  from  his 
coadjutor,  waxed  righteously  indignant. 

"It's  one  thing,  sir,  for  you  to  ride  in  here  as  a  sight 
seer,  but  quite  another  for  you  to  come  representing  an 
unfriendly  state.  You  will  please  choose  which  view  of 
the  matter  I  shall  take,  and  I  shall  act  accordingly." 

Griswold's  companion  spoke  to  him  earnestly  in  a  low 
tone  for  a  moment,  and  then  Griswold  addressed  Ard 
more  incisively. 

"I  don't  know  what  you  pretend  to  be,  sir ;  but  it  may 
interest  you  to  know  that  I  am  the  governor  of  South 
Carolina!" 

"And  this  gentleman,"  cried  Jerry,  pointing  to  Ard- 


302  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

more  with  her  riding-crop,  "though  his  hair  is  mussed 
and  his  scarf  visibly  untied,  is  none  other  than  the 
governor  of  North  Carolina,  and  he  is  not  only  on  his 
own  property,  but  in  the  sovereign  state  of  which  he  is 
the  chief  executive." 

Professor  Griswold  lifted  his  hat  with  the  least 
flourish. 

"I  congratulate  the  state  of  North  Carolina  on  having 
reposed  authority  in  hands  so  capable.  If  this  young 
lady  is  correct,  sir,  I  will  serve  official  notice  on  you 
that  I  have  reason  to  believe  that  a  person  named  Apple- 
weight,  a  fugitive  from  justice,  is  hiding  on  your  prop 
erty  and  in  your  state,  and  I  now  formally  demand  that 
you  surrender  him  forthwith." 

"If  I  may  introduce  myself,"  interposed  Jerry,  "I 
will  say  to  you  that  my  name  is  Geraldine  Dangerfield, 
and  that  this  Appleweight  person  is  now  at  Mr.  Ard- 
more's  house." 

"I  suppose,"  replied  Miss  Osborne  with  gentle  irony, 
"that  he  has  the  pink  parlor  and  leads  the  conversation 
at  table." 

"You  are  quite  mistaken,"  replied  Ardmore;  "but  if 
it  would  afford  you  any  satisfaction  to  see  the  outlaw 
you  may  look  upon  him  in  my  wine  cellar,  where,  only 


A   MEETING   OF    OLD    FRIENDS        303 

an  hour  ago,  I  left  him  sitting  on  a  case  of  Chateau 
Bizet  '82.  My  further  intentions  touching  this  scoun 
drelly  South  Carolinian  I  need  not  now  disclose ;  but  I 
give  you  warning  that  the  Appleweight  issue  will  soon 
and  forever  be  terminated  and  in  a  manner  that  will 
greatly  redound  to  the  credit  and  the  glory  of  the  Old 
North  State." 

Professor  Griswold's  hand  went  to  his  mustache  with 
a  gesture  that  smote  Ardmore,  for  he  knew  that  it  hid 
that  inscrutable  smile  that  had  always  baffled  him. 

"I  trust,"  said  Griswold,  "that  the  prisoner,  whom 
we  can  not  for  a  moment  concede  to  be  the  real  Apple- 
weight,  will  not  be  exposed  to  scarlet  fever,  pending  a 
settlement  of  this  matter.  It  is  my  understanding  that 
the  Bizet  '82  is  a  fraudulent  vintage  that  has  never 
been  nearer  France  than  Paris,  Illinois,  and  if  the 
prisoner  in  your  cellar  drinks  of  it  I  shall  hold  you 
officially  responsible  for  the  consequences.  And  now,  I 
have  the  honor  to  bid  you  both  good  morning." 

He  and  Barbara  swung  their  horses  round  and  re 
traced  their  way,  leaving  Ardmore  and  Jerry  gazing 
after  them. 

When  the  shabby  beasts  from  the  stable  at  Turner 
Court  House  had  borne  Miss  Osborne  and  Griswold  out 


304  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

of  sight  beyond  the  bungalow,  Ardmore  turned  blankly 
to  Jerry. 

"Have  I  gone  blind  or  anything?  Unless  Pm  crazy 
that  was  dear  old  Grissy,  but  who  is  that  girl  ?" 

"That  is  Miss  Barbara  Osborne,  and  I  hope  she  has 
learned  such  a  lesson  that  she  will  not  be  snippy  to  me 
any  more,  if  she  is  the  president-general  of  the  Daugh 
ters  of  the  Seminole  War.*' 

"But  where  do  you  suppose  she  found  Grassy?" 

"I  don't  know,  I*m  sure;  nor,  Mr.  Ardmore,  do  I 
care." 

"He  said  he  represented  the  state  of  South  Carolina 
—do  you  suppose  the  governor  has  really  employed 
him?" 

"I  do  not,"  said  Jerry  emphatically ;  "for  he  appears 
intelligent,  and  intelligence  is  something  that  would 
never  appeal  to  Governor  Osborne.  It  is  quite  possible," 
mused  Jerry  aloud,  "that  Miss  Osborne's  father  has  dis 
appeared  like  mine,  and  that  she  is  running  his  office 
with  Mr.  Griswold's  aid.  If  so,  we  shall  probably  have 
some  fun  before  we  get  through  with  this." 

"If  that's  true  we  shall  have  more  than  fun!"  ex 
claimed  Ardmore,  thoroughly  aroused.  "You  don't 
know  Grissv.  He's  the  smartest  man  alive,  and  if  he's 


A   MEETING    OF    OLD    FRIENDS        305 

running  this  Appleweight  case  for  Governor  Osborne, 
he'll  keep  us  guessing.  Why  did  I  ever  send  him  that 
scarlet  fever  telegram,  anyhow  ?  He'll  fight  harder  than 
ever  for  that  and  all  I  wanted  was  to  keep  him  away 
until  we  had  got  all  through  with  this  business  here  so 
I  could  show  him  what  a  great  man  I  had  been  and  how 
I  had  been  equal  to  an  opportunity  when  it  offered." 

"I  wish  you  to  remember,  Mr.  Ardmore,  that  you  still 
have  your  opportunity,  and  that  I  expect  you  to  carry 
this  matter  through  to  a  safe  conclusion  and  to  the 
honor  of  the  01<1  North  State." 

"I  have  no  intention  of  failing,  Miss  Dangerfield;" 
and  with  this  they  turned  and  rode  slowly  back  toward 
the  house. 

Professor  Griswold  and  Miss  Osborne  were  silent  un 
til  the  forest  again  shut  them  in. 

Then,  in  a  sequestered  spot,  Griswold  suddenly  threw 
up  his  head  and  laughed  long  and  loud. 

"It  doesn't  strike  me  as  being  so  Amusing,"  remarked 
Miss  Osborne.  "They  ha.ve  Appleweight  in  their  wine 
cellar  and  I  don't  see  for  the  life  of  me  how  we  are  gen 
ing  to  get  him  out," 

"What's  funny,  Miss  Osborne,  is  Ardy — that  he  and 
I  should  be  pitted  against  each  other  in  a  thing  of  this 


306  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

kind  is  too  utterly  ridiculous.  Ardy  acting  as  governor 
of  Xorth  Carolina  beats  anything  that  ever  happened 
on  this  continent.  But  how  do  you  suppose  he  ever  met 
Miss  Dangerfield,  who  certainly  is  a  self-contained 
young  woman  ?" 

"The  answer  to  that  riddle  is  so  simple,"  replied  Miss 
Osborne,  "that  I  am  amazed  that  you  fail  to  see  it  for 
yourself.  Miss  Dangerfield  is  undoubtedly  the  girl 
with  the  winking  eye." 

"Oh,  no!"  protested  Griswold. 

"I  don't  hesitate  to  announce  that  as  a  fact.  Miss 
Geraldine  Dangerfield,  beyond  any  question,  is  the 
young  lady  whom  Mr.  Ardmore,  your  knight  errant 
friend,  went  forth  for  to  seek.  Just  how  they  met  we 
shall  perhaps  learn  later  on.  But  just  now  it  seems 
rather  necessary  for  us  to  adopt  some  plan  of  action, 
unless  you  feel  that  you  do  not  wish  to  oppose  your 
friend." 

"Oppose  him!  I  have  got  to  whip  him  to  the  dust 
if  I  shake  down  the  very  towers  of  his  stronghold !  It's 
well  we  have  the  militia  on  the  road.  With  the  state 
army  at  our  back  we  can  show  Tommy  Ardmore  a  few 
things  in  state  administration  that  are  not  dreamed  of 
in  his  philosophy." 


A   MEETING   OF    OLD    FRIENDS        307 

"Do  you  suppose  they  really  have  Appleweight  ?" 
asked  Barbara. 

"Not  for  a  minute!  They  told  us  that  story  merely 
to  annoy  us  when  they  found  what  we  were  looking  for. 
That  touch  about  the  wine  cellar  is  characteristically 
Ardmoresque.  If  they  had  Appleweight  you,  may  b« 
sure  they  wouldn't  keep  him  on  the  premises/' 

Whereupon,  they  rode  back  to  Turner  Court  Houst 
much  faster  than  they  had  come. 


CHAPTER  XV 

THE    PRISONER    IN   THE    CORN-CRIB 

Jerry  and  Ardmore  sat  at  a  long  table  in  the  com 
modious  Ardsley  library,  which  was  a  modification  of  a 
Gothic  chapel.  It  was  on  the  upper  floor,  with  broad 
windows  that  had  the  effect  of  bringing  the  landscape 
indoors,  and  the  North  Carolina  sky  is,  we  must  con 
cede,  a  pleasant  thing  to  have  at  one's  elbow.  A  large 
accumulation  of  mail  from  the  governor's  office  at 
Raleigh  had  been  forwarded,  and  Jerry  insisted  that  it 
must  be  opened  and  disposed  of  in  some  way.  Governor 
Dangerfield  was,  it  appeared,  a  subscriber  to  a  clipping 
bureau,  and  they  had  been  examining  critically  a  batch 
of  cuttings  relating  to  the  New  Orleans  incident.  Most 
of  them  were  in  a  frivolous  key,  playfully  reviving  the 
ancient  query  as  to  what  the  governor  of  North  Carolina 
really  said  to  the  governor  of  South  Carolina.  Others 
sought  causes  for  the  widely-reported  disappearance  of 
the  two  governors;  and  still  other  reports  boldly  main 
tained  that  Governors  Dangerfield  and  Osborne  were  at 

308 


THE  PRISONER  IN  THE  CORN-CRIB    309 

their  capitals  engaged  in  the  duties  of  their  respective 
offices. 

"Ifs  a  good  thing  we  got  hold  of  Collins/'  observed 
Ardmore,  putting  down  a  clipping  from  a  New  York 
paper  in  which  the  reports  of  Governor  Dangerfield's 
disappearance  were  analyzed  and  tersely  dismissed; 
"for  he  knows  how  to  write  and  he's  done  a  splendid 
picture  of  your  father  on  his  throne  attending  to  busi 
ness;  and  his  little  stingers  for  Osborne  are  the  work 
of  genius." 

"There's  a  certain  finish  about  Mr.  Collins'  lying 
that  is  refreshing,"  replied  Jerry,  "and  I  can  not  help 
thinking  that  he  has  a  brilliant  future  before  him  if 
he  enters  politics.  Nothing  pains  me  more  than  a  care 
less,  ill-considered,  silly  lie,  which  is  the  best  that  most 
people  can  do.  But  it  would  be  very  interesting  to  know 
whether  Governor  Osborne  has  really  disappeared,  or 
just  how  your  friend  the  Virginia  professor  has  seized 
the  reins  of  state.  Do  you  suppose  he  got  a  jug  from 
somewhere,  and  met  Miss  Osborne  and — " 

"Do  you  think — do  you  think— she  may  have— er 
possibly — closed  one  eye  in  his  direction?"  asked  Ard- 
more  dubiously. 

"Mr.  Ardmore"— and  Jerry  pointed  at  liim  with  a 


310  THE  LITTLE  BKOWN  JUQ  AT  KILDARE 

bronze  paper-cutter  to  make  sure  of  his  attention — "Mr. 
Ardinore,  if  you  ever  imply  again  by  act,  word  or  deed 
that  I  winked  at  you  I  shall  never,  never  speak  to  you 
again.  I  should  think  that  a  man  with  a  nice  sister  like 
Mrs.  Atchison  would  have  a  better  opinion  of  women 
than  you  seem  to  have.  I  never  saw  you  until  you  came 
to  my  father's  house  to  tell  me  about  the  jug — and  you 
know  I  didn't.  And  as  for  that  Barbara  Osborne,  while 
I  don't  doubt  that  even  in  South  Carolina  a  Daughter 
of  the  Seminole  War  might  wink  at  a  gentleman  in  a 
moment  of  extreme  provocation,  I  doubt  if  she  did,  for 
she  lacks  animation,  and  has  no  more  soul  than  a  gum 
overshoe." 

The  obvious  inconsistency  of  this  pronouncement 
caused  Ardmore  to  frown  in  the  stress  of  his  thought; 
and  he  stared  helplessly  along  the  line  of  the  accusing 
paper-cutter  into  Jerry's  eyes. 

"Oh,  cheer  up!"  she  cried  in  her  despair  of  him; 
"and  forget  it,  forget  it,  forget  it !  I'll  say  this  to  you, 
Mr.  Ardmore,  that  if  I  ever  winked  at  you — and  I  never, 
never  did — I'm  sorry  I  did  it!  Some  time  when  you 
haven't  so  much  work  on  your  hands  as  you  have  this 
morning  just  think  that  over  and  let  me  know  where  you 
land.  And  now,  look  at  these  things,  please." 


THE  PRISONER  IN  THE  CORN-CRIB    311 

"What  is  all  this  stuff?"  he  demanded,  as  she  tossed 
him  a  pile  of  papers. 

"They  refer  to  the  application  for  pardon  of  a  poor 
man  who's  going  to  be  hanged  for  murder  to-morrow 
unless  we  do  something  for  him ;  and  he  has  a  wife  and 
three  little  children,  and  he  has  never  committed  any 
other  crime  but  to  break  into  a  smoke-house  and  steal 
a  side  of  bacon." 

"Did  he  shoot  in  self-defense,  or  how  was  it?"  asked 
Ardmore  judicially. 

"He  killed  a  painless  dentist  who  pulled  the  wrong 
tooth,"  answered  Jerry,  referring  to  the  papers. 

"If  that's  all  I  don't  think  we  can  stand  for  hanging 
him.  I  read  a  piece  against  capital  punishment  in  a 
magazine  once  and  the  arguments  were  very  strong.  The 
killing  of  a  dentist  should  not  be  a  crime  anyhow,  and 
if  you  know  how  to  pardon  a  man,  why  let's  do  it ;  but 
we'd  better  wait  until  the  last  minute,  and  then  send  a 
telegram  to  the  sheriff  to  stop  the  proceedings  just  be 
fore  he  pulls  the  string,  which  makes  it  most  impressive, 
and  gives  a  better  effect." 

"I  believe  you  are  right  about  it,"  said  Jerry.  "There's 
an  old  pardon  right  here  in  this  bundle  which  we  can  use. 
It  was  made  out  for  another  man  who  stole  a  horse  that 


312  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

afterwards  died,  which  papa  said  was  a  mitigating  cir 
cumstance;  but  the  week  before  his  execution  the  man 
escaped  from  jail  before  papa  could  pardon  him." 

"Suppose  we  don't  let  them  hang  anybody  while  we're 
running  the  state/'  suggested  Ardmore ;  "it's  almost  as 
though  you  murdered  a  man  yourself,  and  I  couldn't 
tie  my  neckties  afterwards  without  a  guilty  feeling.  I 
can't  imagine  anything  more  disagreeable  than  to  be 
hanged.  I  heard  all  of  Tristan  und  Isolde  once,  and  I 
have  seen  half  an  Ibsen  play,  and  those  were  hard 
things  to  bear,  but  I  suppose  hanging  would  be  just  as 
painful  and  there  would  be  no  supper  afterwards  to 
cheer  you  up." 

"You  shouldn't  speak  in  that  tone  of  Afterwards,  Mr. 
Ardmore,"  said  Jerry  severely.  "It  isn't  religious.  And 
while  we're  on  the  subject  of  religion,  may  I  ask  the 
really,  truly  wherefore  of  Miss  Daisy  Waters'  sudden 
return  to  Newport  ?"  and  Jerry's  tone  and  manner  were 
carelessly  demure. 

"She  went  home,"  replied  Ardmore,  grinning;  "she 
left  Ardsley  for  two  reasons,  one  of  which  she  stated  at 
the  breakfast  table  and  the  other  she  handed  me  pri 
vately." 

"She  said  at  the  breakfast  table  that  she  was  called 


THE  PKISONEK  IN  THE  COBN-CRIB    313 

home  by  incipient  whooping  cough  in  the  household  of 
her  brother-in-law's  cousin's  family." 

"As  she  has  no  brother-in-law,  that  can  not  be  true. 
What  she  said  to  me  privately  was  that  the  house  party 
had  grown  very  much  larger  than  Mrs.  Atchison  had 
originally  planned  it,  and  that  I  am  so  busy  that  so 
many  guests  must  be  a  burden." 

Jerry  stroked  her  cheek  reflectively. 

"I  thought  Miss  Waters  wouldn't  last  long  after  I 
asked  her  if  rusty  nail  water  really  would  remove 
freckles.  My  own  freckles  are  exactly  seven  in  number 
and  I  am  not  ashamed  of  them,  but  Miss  Waters  seemed 
very  sensitive  on  the  subject,  though  I  thought  her 
freckles  useful  in  diverting  attention  from  her  drug 
store  hair." 

"Did  you  say  seven?"  inquired  Ardmore,  gazing  ea 
gerly  into  Jerry's  face.  "I  make  it  only  six,  and  there's 
one  away  over  there  under  your  left  eye  that  seems  very 
lonesome,  as  though  it  suffered  keenly  from  being  so  far 
away  from  its  brothers  and  sisters  on  the  other  side  of 
your  nose." 

"Mr.  Ardmore" — and  Jerry  again  indicated  the  per 
son  addressed  by  pointing  with  the  paper-cutter — "Mr. 
Ardmore,  it  is  downright  impudent  of  you  to  talk  to  11:3 


314  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

about  my  appearance  in  any  terms,  but  when  you  speak 
of  my  face  as  though  it  were  a  map  in  a  geography  and 
of  my  freckles  as  though  they  were  county  seats,  or 
lakes,  or  strange  places  in  China,  then  I  must  protest 
with  all  my  strength.  If  you  don't  change  the  subject 
immediately  I  shall  refuse  to  pardon  this  person  who 
killed  the  painless  dentist,  and  he  shall  be  hanged  by 
the  neck  till  he  be  dead ;  and  you,  Mr.  Thomas  Ardmore, 
will  be  guilty  of  his  murder." 

The  discussion  of  Miss  Jerry  Dangerfield's  freckles 
ceased  abruptly  on  the  appearance  of  Big  Paul,  the 
forester. 

"A  body  of  South  Carolina  militia  is  marching  across 
country  from  the  south.  One  of  my  men  heard  of  it 
down  at  Turner  Court  House  last  night  and  rode  to 
where  the  troops  were  encamped.  He  learned  that  it 
was  a  practice  march  for  the  militia.  There's  several 
companies  of  infantry,  so  he  reports,  and  a  piece  of  ar 
tillery." 

"Bully  for  old  Grissy !"  exclaimed  Ardmore.  "They're 
coming  this  way,  are  they,  Paul  ?"  And  the  three  bent 
over  the  map. 

"That  is  the  place,  sir.  They  seem  to  be  planning  to 
get  around  Turner's  without  stirring  up  the  town.  But 


THE  PRISONER  IN  THE  CORN-CRIB     315 

it  would  take  a  good  deal  to  wake  up  Turner's/'  laughed 
the  big  German. 

Jerry  placed  her  finger  on  the  state  line. 

"If  they  dare  cross  that — if  they  as  much  as  dare  I" 

"If  they  dare  we  shall  show  them  a  few  things.  Take 
all  the  men  you  need,  Paul,  to  watch  their  movements. 
That  will  do." 

The  forester  lingered. 

"You  remember  that  we  spoke  the  other  day  of  the 
log  house  on  Raccoon  Creek,  where  the  Appleweights 
had  driven  off  our  man  ?" 

"Yes,  Paul.  It  is  where  the  state  line  crosses  the  heavy 
woods  and  the  farthest  outpost,  so  to  speak,  on  my  prop 
erty.  When  you  cross  the  little  creek,  you're  in  South 
Carolina.  You  said  some  of  these  Appleweight  fellows 
had  been  cutting  off  the  timber  down  there,  if  I  re 
member  rightly." 

"Yes,  sir,"  replied  the  forester,  twirling  his  cap  awk 
wardly.  "But  some  of  the  people  on  the  estate  have 
said—" 

He  broke  off  in  an  embarrassment  so  unlike  him  that 
Jerry  and  Ardmore  looked  at  him  curiously. 

"Well,  Paul,  what's  the  matter?  If  the  cabin  has  been 
burned  down  it's  no  serious  matter." 


316  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  K1LDARE 

"Why,  sir;  some  of  the  men  passing  there  at  night 
say  they  see  lights  and  hear  sounds  in  the  cabin,  though 
no  one  from  the  estate  goes  there.  A  child  died  in  the 
house  last  spring  and — well,  you  know  how  some  of  these 
people  are !" 

"Ghosts !"  cried  Ardmore.  "The  property  is  growing 
more  valuable  all  the  time!  Tell  them  that  whoever 
captures  the  ghost  and  brings  it  here  shall  have  a  hand 
some  present.  So  far  it's  only  a  light  in  an  abandoned 
house— is  that  it?" 

"Well,  they  say  it's  very  strange,"  and  it  was  clear 
that  the  German  was  not  wholly  satisfied  to  have  his  em 
ployer  laugh  off  the  story. 

"Cheer  up,  Paul.  We  have  bigger  business  on  hand 
than  the  chasing  of  ghosts  just  now.  When  we  get 
through  with  these  other  things  I'll  go  over  there  my 
self  and  take  a  look  at  the  spook." 

As  Paul  hurried  away,  Jerry  seized  a  pen  and  wrote 
this  message : 

Rutherford  Gillingwater, 

Adjutant-General,  Camp  Dangerfield, 

Azbell,  N.  C.: 

Move  all  available  troops  by  shortest  route  to  Kildare  at 
once  and  report  to  me  personally  at  Ardsley.  Make  no  state 
ments  to  newspapers.  Answer.  DANGERFIELD, 

Governor. 


THE  PRISONER  IN  THE  CORN-CRIB    317 

"I  guess  that  will  bring  him  running/5  said  Ardmore, 
calling  a  servant  and  ordering  the  message  despatched 
immediately.  "But  when  he  comes,  expecting  to  report 
to  the  governor  and  finds  that  he  isn't  here,  what  do  you 
suppose  he  will  do?" 

"Mr.  Ardmore,"  began  Jerry,  in  the  tone  of  sweet 
tolerance  with  which  one  arraigns  a  hopeless  child, 
"Mr.  Ardmore,  there  are  times  when  you  tax  my  pa 
tience  severely.  You  don't  seem  to  grasp  the  idea  that 
we  are  not  making  explanations  to  inferiors  in  our  ad 
ministration.  Colonel  Gillingwater  will  undoubtedly  be 
a  good  deal  surprised  to  get  that  message,  but  when  the 
first  shock  is  over  he  will  obey  the  orders  of  his  com- 
mander-in-chief.  And  the  fact  that  he  is  ordered  to  re 
port  to  Ardsley  will  not  be  lost  on  him,  for  he  will  see 
in  that  a  possible  social  opportunity,  and  a  chance  to 
wear  some  of  his  uniforms  that  he  has  never  worn  be 
fore.  He  will  think  that  papa  is  really  here  to  test  the 
efficiency  of  the  troops,  and  that  as  papa  is  a  guest  at 
Ardsley,  which  we  know  he  isn't,  there  will  probably 
be  some  great  social  functions  in  this  house,  with  papa's 
staff  dressed  up  and  all  shiny  in  gold  braid.  Since 
Rutherford  Gillingwater  had  the  typhoid  fever  during 
the  Spanish  War  I  have  not  been  sure  that  he  is  as  much 


318  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

interested  in  fighting  as  he  is  in  the  purely  circus  work 
of  being  a  soldier.  I  just  now  recall  that  when  papa 
was  about  to  order  out  the  troops  to  stop  a  railroad 
strike  last  spring,  Rutherford  Gillingwater  went  to  all 
the  trouble  of  having  tonsilitis  and  was  so  ill  that  he 
could  hardly  leave  his  room  even  after  the  strike  had 
been  settled  by  arbitration.  If  he  knew  that  there  was 
likely  to  be  a  terrible  battle  over  here  instead  of  nice 
long  dinners  and  toasts  to  "The  Old  North  State," 
"Our  Governor,"  and  "The  Governor's  Daughter/'  his 
old  wounds,  that  he  never  had,  might  trouble  him  so  that 
they'd  have  to  wrap  him  up  in  cotton  and  carry  him 
home." 

Before  luncheon  a  message  was  received  from  Gilling 
water,  to  this  effect: 

Governor  William  Danger-field, 

Ardsley,  N.  C.: 

En  route  with  our  entire  available  force  in  the  field.  I  am 
riding  ahead  with  all  speed,  and  will  report  at  Ardsley  at 
nine  o'clock.  Is  full  military  dress  de  rigueur? 

GILLINGWATEB,  Adjutant-General. 

"Isn't  that  just  like  Rutherford!  He's  afraid  he 
won't  be  dressy  enough;  but  if  he  knew  that  the  South 
Carolina  troops  might  shoot  holes  in  his  uniform  he 


THE  PRISONEE  IN  THE  CORN-CRIB     319 

wouldn't  be  due  here  for  a  couple  of  weeks,  instead  of  at 
nine  o'clock  to-night;"  and  Jerry  laughed  merrily. 

They  debated  more  seriously  this  telegram  from  Col 
lins  at  Raleigh  sent  the  previous  evening: 

Can't  maintain  this  bluff  much  longer.  Even  the  friendly 
newspapers  are  growing  suspicious.  State  credit  jeopard 
ized  by  disappearance  of  Treasurer  Foster.  Billings,  of 
Bronx  Loan  and  Trust,  here  in  a  great  fury  over  bond  mat 
ter.  Do  you  know  governor's  whereabouts? 

"Things  are  certainly  growing  more  exciting,"  was 
Ardmore's  comment.  "I  suppose  even  a  gifted  liar  like 
Collins  can't  muzzle  the  press  forever." 

"You  can't  go  on  fooling  all  North  Carolina  all  the 
time,  either,"  said  Jerry,  "and  I  suppose  when  papa 
gets  tired  of  being  scared  he  will  turn  up  in  Raleigh  and 
tell  some  plausible  story  about  where  he  has  been  and 
what  has  happened.  When  it  comes  to  being  plausible 
no  one  can  touch  papa." 

"Maybe  he's  dead,"  suggested  Ardmore  gloomily. 

"Thaf  s  a  real  inspiration  on  your  part,  Mr.  Ardmore ; 
and  it's  very  sweet  of  you  to  mention  it,  but  I  have  no 
idea  that  any  harm  has  come  to  papa.  It's  too  much 
trouble  to  get  elected  governor,  without  dying  in  office, 
and  besides,  papa  is  none  too  friendly  with  the  lieuten 
ant-governor  and  would  never  think  of  allowing  such  a 


320  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

person  to  succeed  him.  But  those  bonds  seem  rather 
serious  and  I  don't  like  the  idea  of  your  Mr.  Billings 
making  a  fuss  at  Raleigh/' 

"That  will  be  all  right/'  remarked  Ardmore,  blotting 
the  last  of  a  number  of  telegrams  which  he  had  been 
writing,  and  pressing  a  button.  "It's  much  more  im 
portant  for  us  to  get  Appleweight  into  a  South  Carolina 
jail;  and  it's  not  going  to  be  so  easy  to  do,  now  that 
Grissy  is  working  on  the  other  side,  and  angry  at  me 
about  that  scarlet  fever  telegram." 

"There  may  be  trouble,"  said  Ardmore  to  his  guests 
as  they  sat  at  luncheon.  "But  I  should  hate  to  have  it 
said  that  my  guests  could  not  be  taken  care  of  here 
perfectly.  I  beg  that  you  will  all  remain." 

"If  there's  to  be  a  row,  why  don't  you  call  the  police 
and  be  done  with  it  ?"  asked  a  sad  young  member  of  the 
company.  His  motor  number  had  so  often  figured  in  re 
ports  of  speed  law  violations  that  he  was  known  as 
Eighteen  Eighty.  "I  thought  you  came  down  here  for 
quiet  and  not  to  get  into  trouble,  Ardy." 

"If  I  miss  my  steamer  nine  days  from  to-day,  and 
meanwhile  have  to  eat  horse  meat,  just  as  they  did  in 
the  siege  of  Paris,  I  shall  be  greatly  provoked,  to  say 
the  least,"  remarked  Mrs.  Atchison  pleasantly ;  for  her 


THE  PRISONER  IN  THE  CORN-CRIB    321 

brother's  amazing  awakening  delighted  her  and  it  was  a 
cheering  experience  that  he  promised,  of  civil  war,  bat 
tle,  murder  and  sudden  death. 

"I  think  I  shall  spend  more  time  in  America  after 
this,'7  remarked  Eighteen  Eighty.  "I  did  not  know 
that  amusing  things  ever  happened  over  here.  What  did 
you  say  the  name  of  this  state  is  ?" 

"The  name  of  this  state,"  replied  Miss  Dangerfield, 
"is  North  Carolina,  and  I  have  my  opinion  of  any  na 
tive  American  who  runs  around  Europe  all  the  time, 
and  who  can  visit  a  place  in  this  country  without  even 
knowing  the  name  of  the  state  he  is  in." 

"But  there's  really  no  difference  between  North  and 
South  Carolina,  is  there  ?"  persisted  Eighteen  Eighty. 

Jerry  put  down  her  fork,  and  folded  her  hands  beside 
her  plate,  while  she  addressed  the  offender. 

"Mr.  Number  Something,  the  difference  between  the 
Old  North  State  and  South  Carolina  is  not  merely  geo 
graphical — it  is  also  intellectual,  ethical  and  spiritual. 
But  may  I  ask  you  whether  you  know  of  which  state 
you  are  a  citizen  ?" 

A  laugh  rose  as  the  sad  young  man  flushed  and  looked 
inquiringly  about. 

"I  voted  you  in  my  precinct  that  time  I  ran  for  alder- 


322  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

man  in  New  York/'  said  Ardmore,  "but  that's  no  sign 
you  had  a  right  to  vote  there.  I  shot  Ballywinkle 
through  the  booth  at  the  same  time.  I  was  a  reform 
candidate  and  needed  votes,  but  I  hoped  Bally  would 
get  arrested  and  be  sent  to  jail.  My  impression  is  that 
you  are  really  a  citizen  of  Rhode  Island,  which  is  where 
Newport  is." 

The  debate  as  to  Eighteen  Eighty's  legal  residence 
was  interrupted  by  the  arrival  of  a  summons  for  Ard 
more,  who  hurriedly  left  the  table. 

Big  Paul  awaited  him  below,  mounted  and  holding  a 
led-horse. 

"There's  a  line  of  the  South  Carolina  militia  crawl 
ing  through  the  woods  toward  Raccoon  Creek.  They 
insist  that  it's  a  practice  skirmish  and  that  they've  come 
over  here  because  the  landscape  is  naturally  adapted  to 
their  purposes/' 

"It's  awfully  nice  of  them  to  like  my  scenery.  You'd 
better  send  your  best  man  out  to  meet  Colonel  Gilling- 
water  of  the  North  Carolina  militia,  and  tell  him  to 
march  all  his  troops  into  the  estate  by  the  north  gates, 
and  to  be  in  a  hurry.  Tell  him — tell  him  Governor 
Dangerfield  is  anxious  to  have  the  staff  present  in  f'\ll 
uniform  at  a  grand  ball  at  Ardslev  to-night."' 


THE  PRISONER  IN  THE  CORN-CRIB     323 

Ardmore  rode  off  alone  toward  Raccoon  Creek  to  catch 
a  view  of  the  enemy.  How  far  would  Griswold  go? 
This  question  he  kept  debating  with  himself.  His  late 
friend  was  a  lawyer  and  a  serious  one  whom  he  had  not 
believed  capable  of  seizing  the  militia  of  one  state  and 
using  it  to  make  a  military  demonstration  against  an 
other.  Ardmore  could  go  as  far  as  Griswold ;  yet  he  was 
puzzled  to  know  why  Griswold  was  in  the  field  at  all. 
Miss  Dangerfield's  suggestion  that  Griswold's  interest 
in  the  daughter  of  the  governor  of  South  Carolina  ac 
counted  for  his  presence  on  the  border  seemed  plausible 
at  first;  and  yet  the  more  he  thought  about  it  the  less 
credible  it  seemed,  for  he  was  sure,  that  Griswold  had 
talked  to  him  about  women  with  the  frankness  that  had 
characterized  all  their  intercourse,  and  Ardmore  racked 
his  brains  in  his  effort  to  recall  the  few  affairs  to  which 
the  associate  professor  of  admiralty  had  pleaded  guilty. 
Memory  brought  these  back  to  him  slowly.  There  was 
an  Old  Point  Comfort  affair,  dating  back  to  Griswold's 
student  days,  and  to  which  he  had  referred  with  no  little 
feeling  once  or  twice;  and  there  was  a  York  Harbor 
affair,  that  came  a  little  later ;  and  there  was  the  girl  he 
had  met  on  a  steamer,  about  whom  Griswold  had  shown 
sensitiveness  when  Ardmore  had  made  bold  to  twit  him. 


324  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 


But  Ardmore  could  not  account  for  Miss  Osborne,  unless 
his  friend  had  been  withholding  his  confidence  while 
seemingly  wholly  frank  ;  and  the  thought  that  this  must 
be  true  widened  the  breach  between  them.  And  when 
he  was  saying  to  himself  that  the  daughters  of  govern 
ors  are  not  in  the  habit  of  picking  up  cavaliers  and  in 
trusting  state  affairs  to  them  and  that  it  was  almost 
inconceivable  that  the  conscientious  Griswold,  at  the 
busiest  season  at  the  university,  should  have  taken  em 
ployment  from  the  governor  of  South  Carolina,  he 
found  that  he  had  struck  a  stone  wall,  and  he  confessed 
to  himself  that  the  situation  was  beyond  him. 

These  reflections  carried  him  far  toward  Raccoon 
Creek,  and  when  he  had  reached  that  tortuous  stream 
he  dismounted  and  tied  his  horse,  the  more  freely  to 
examine  the  frontier.  The  Raccoon  is  never  more  than 
eighty  feet  wide,  but  filled  with  boulders  round  which 
the  water  foams  in  many  curves  and  splashes,  running 
away  in  the  merriest  ripples,  so  that  it  is  never  wholly 
tranquil.  By  jumping  from  boulder  to  boulder  he 
crossed  the  turbulent  tide  and  gained  the  other  side  with 
a  sense  of  entering  the  enemy's  country. 
"Now,"  he  muttered,  "I  am  in  South  Carolina." 
He  drew  out  his  map  and  held  it  against  a  tree  the 


THE  PRISONER  IN  THE  CORN-CRIB     325 

better  to  study  it,  reassuring  himself  that  his  own 
property  line  embraced  several  sections  of  the  forest  on 
the  south  side  of  the  state  boundary. 

"If  Grissy  shoots  me,  it  will  be  on  my  own  land/'  he 
said  aloud. 

He  cautiously  followed  the  stream  until,  several  hun 
dred  yards  farther  on,  and  overhanging  the  creek,  he 
came  upon  the  log  cabin  in  which  big  Paul  had  reported 
the  presence  of  a  ghost.  Paul's  story  had  not  interested 
him  particularly,  but  now  that  he  was  in  the  neighbor 
hood,  he  resolved  to  visit  the  cabin  and  learn  if  possible 
how  ghosts  amuse  themselves  by  day.  He  had  thrust  a 
revolver  into  his  pocket  before  leaving  the  house  and 
while  he  had  no  idea  that  ghosts  may  be  shot,  he  now 
made  sure  that  the  weapon  was  in  good  order.  As  he  sat 
on  a  log  slipping  the  cylinder  through  his  fingers  he 
heard  whistling  farther  along  the  creek,  followed  quickly 
by  the  snapping  of  twigs  under  a  heavy  tread,  and  a  mo 
ment  later  a  tall,  slender  man  broke  into  view. 

The  stranger  was  dressed  like  a  countryman,  but  he 
was  unmistakably  not  of  the  Ardsley  force  of  workmen, 
for  these  wore  a  rough  sort  of  uniform.  His  hands  were 
thrust  carelessly  into  the  side  pockets  of  a  gray  jeans 
coat.  They  were  thrust  in  deep,  so  that  the  coat  sagged 


326  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

at  the  pockets.  His  trousers  were  turned  up  from  a 
pair  of  rough  shoes  and  he  wore  a  gray  flannel  shirt,  the 
collar  of  which  was  guiltless  of  a  tie.  He  was  smooth 
shaven,  and  carried  in  his  mouth  a  short  pipe,  which  he 
paused  to  relight  when  about  a  dozen  yards  from  Ard- 
more.  Then,  as  he  held  the  lighted  match  above  the  pipe 
bowl  for  an  instant  to  make  sure  his  tobacco  was  burn 
ing,  Ardmore  jumped  up  and  covered  him  with  the 
pistol. 

"I  beg  your  pardon,"  said  the  master  of  Ardsley,  "but 
you're  my  prisoner !" 

The  stranger  shook  the  flame  out  of  the  match-stick 
carefully  and  threw  it  away  before  turning  toward  his 
captor. 

"Young  man,"  he  said  with  perfect  self-possession, 
"don't  fool  with  that  gun ;  it  might  go  off." 

His  drawl  was  characteristic  of  the  region;  his  tone 
was  one  of  amused  tolerance.  Ardmore  was  short  of 
stature,  and  his  knickerbockers,  leggings  and  Norfolk 
jacket  were  not  wholly  consonant  with  the  revolver, 
which,  however,  he  leveled  very  steadily  at  the  stranger's 
head. 

"You  are  an  intruder  on  my  property,"  said  the  mas 
ter  of  Ardsley,  "and  unless  I'm  much  mistaken  you  have 


THE  PRISONER  IN  THE  CORN-CRIB    327 

been  playing  ghost  in  that  cabin.  I've  heard  about  you. 
Your  gang  has  been  cutting  off  my  timber  about  long 
enough,  and  this  game  of  playing  ghost  to  scare  my  men 
won't  do." 

"Stealing  your  timber?"  And  the  stranger  was 
clearly  surprised.  He  held  his  pipe  in  his  hand  with 
his  thumb  over  the  bowl  and  seemed  to  take  a  more  seri 
ous  interest  in  his  captor. 

"And  now,"  continued  Ardmore,  "I'm  about  tired  of 
having  this  end  of  the  country  run  by  the  Appleweights, 
and  their  disreputable  gang,  so  I'm  going  to  lock  you 
up." 

The  stranger  turned  toward  the  cabin,  one  corner 
of  which  was  plainly  visible,  and  shrugged  his  shoul 
ders. 

"I  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  Appleweights,  and  I 
assure  you  I  am  not  a  timber  thief." 

"Then  you  must  be  the  one  who  has  lifted  a  few 
steers  out  of  my  herd.  It  makes  no  difference  just  what 
branch  of  the  business  you  are  engaged  in,  for  we're  pick 
ing  up  all  the  gang  and  you've  got  to  come  along  with 
me." 

The  captive  showed  signs  of  anger  for  the  first  time. 
His  face  flushed,  and  he  took  a  step  toward  Ardmore, 


328  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

who  immediately  threw  up  the  revolver  so  that  it  pointed 
at  the  man's  head. 

"Stop  right  there !  We've  got  old  man  Appleweight, 
so  you've  lost  your  leader,  and  I  tell  you  the  jig's  up. 
We'll  have  you  all  in  jail  before  another  twenty-four 
hours  has  passed." 

"I  judge  from  the  tone  of  your  remarks  that  you  are 
Ardmore,  the  owner  of  Ardsley.  Am  I  right  ?" 

"You  are  quite  right.  And  you  are  a  member  of  a 
disreputable  gang  of  outlaws  that  has  been  bringing 
shame  upon  the  state  of  North  Carolina.  Now,  I  want 
you  to  march  straight  ahead  of  me.  Step  lively  now !" 
And  Ardmore  flourished  the  pistol  menacingly. 
"March !" 

The  man  hesitated,  flung  up  his  head  defiantly,  then 
moved  slowly  forward.  The  flush  in  his  face  had  deep 
ened  and  his  eyes  flashed  angrily ;  but  Ardmore,  his  cap 
on  the  back  of  his  head,  himself  presented  a  figure  so 
severe,  so  eloquent  of  righteous  indignation,  that  the 
stranger  tamely  obeyed  him. 

"We  will  cross  the  creek  right  here,"  he  ordered ;  "it's 
a  pretty  jump  there  from  that  boulder — there,  that  was 
bully!  Now  right  along  there  over  the  log — see  the 
trail!  Good!" 


THE  PEISONEE  IN  THE  COKN-CKIB     329 

It  was  warm  and  the  captive  was  perspiring  freely. 
He  moved  along  docilely,  and  finding  that  he  manifested 
no  inclination  to  bolt,  Ardmore  dropped  the  revolver  to 
his  side,  but  with  his  finger  on  the  trigger.  He  was  very 
proud  of  himself;  for  while  to  Miss  Jerry  Dangerfield 
undoubtedly  belonged  the  honor  of  capturing  the  thief 
Appleweight,  yet  he  had  single-handed  arrested  a  mem 
ber  of  the  famous  gang,  and  he  had  already  resolved 
upon  a  convenient  method  of  disposing  of  his  prisoner. 
They  paused  while  Ardmore  mounted  his  horse,  silenc 
ing  the  captive,  who  took  the  opportunity  to  break  out 
protestingly  against  what  he  termed  an  infamous  out 
rage  upon  personal  liberty. 

"You've  taken  me  from  one  state  into  another  without 
due  process  of  law,"  declared  the  stranger,  thinking  to 
impress  Ardmore,  as  that  young  gentleman  settled  him 
self  in  his  saddle. 

"Go  right  on  now;  that's  a  good  fellow,"  replied  the 
master  of  Ardsley,  lifting  the  revolver  warningly. 
"Whether  it's  North  Carolina  or  South  Dakota.— it 
doesn't  make  a  particle  of  difference  to  me.  As  I  re 
marked  before,  it's  my  property,  I  tell  you,  and  I  do 
what  I  please  here." 

"I'll  show  you  whether  you  do  or  not,"  snorted  the 


330  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDABE 

prisoner,  who  was  trudging  along  doggedly  with  the  nose 
of  Ardmore's  horse  occasionally  poking  his  back. 

They  soon  reached  a  field  where  some  laborers  were  at 
work,  and  Ardmore  called  them  to  him  for  instructions. 

"Boys,  this  is  one  of  the  timber  thieves ;  put  him  in 
that  corn-crib  until  I  come  back  for  him.  The  nights 
are  warm ;  the  sky  is  perfectly  clear ;  and  you  will  kindly 
see  that  he  does  not  lack  for  food." 

Two  of  the  men  jumped  forward  and  seized  Ardmore's 
prisoner,  who  now  broke  forth  in  a  torrent  of  wrath, 
struggling  vigorously  in  the  hands  of  the  sturdy  fel 
lows  who  had  laid  violent  hands  on  him. 

"That's  right,  boys;  that's  right;  easy  there!  Now 
in  he  goes." 

A  series  of  corn-cribs  fringed  the  field,  and  into  one 
of  these,  from  which  half  the  corn  had  been  removed, 
the  prisoner  was  thrust  sprawling  upon  the  yellow  ears, 
and  when  he  rose  and  flung  himself  round,  the  door  of 
the  corn-crib  slammed  in  his  face.  He  bellowed  with 
rage  now,  seeing  that  his  imprisonment  was  a  serious 
matter,  and  that  it  seemed  likely  to  be  prolonged  indefi 
nitely. 

"They  always  told  me  you  were  a  fool,"  he  howled, 


THE  PRISONER  IN  THE  CORN-CRIB    331 

"but  I  didn't  know  that  anything  as  crazy  as  you  axe 
was  loose  in  the  world." 

"Thank  you.  The  head  of  your  gang  is  much  more 
polite.  He's  sitting  on  his  case  of  Chateau  Bizet  in  my 
wine  cellar,  playing  solitaire." 

"Appleweight  in  your  wine  cellar!"  bawled  the  cap 
tive  in  astonishment. 

"Certainly.  I  was  afraid  to  lock  him  in  a  room  with 
bath  for  fear  it  might  give  him  hydrophobia;  but  he's 
perfectly  content  in  the  wine  cellar." 

"What  are  you  going  to  do  with  him  ?" 

"I  haven't  decided  yet  just  what  to  do  with  him,  but 
the  scoundrel  undoubtedly  belongs  in  South  Carolina, 
and  I  have  every  intention  of  making  his  own  state 
punish  him." 

The  prisoner  leaned  heavily  against  his  prison  door 
and  glared  out  upon  his  jailer  with  a  new,  fierce  in 
terest. 

"I  tell  you  I've  nothing  to  do  with  the  Appleweights ! 
I  don't  want  to  reveal  my  identity  to  you,  you  young 
beggar;  but  I  demand  my  legal  rights." 

"My  dear  sir,"  retorted  Ardmore,  "you  have  no  legal 
rights,  for  the  writ  of  habeas  corpus  doesn't  go  here. 


332  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

You  seem  rather  intelligent  for  a  barn  burner  and  tim 
ber  thief.  Come  now,  what  is  your  name  ?" 

The  prisoner  gazed  down  upon  the  imperturbable  fig 
ure  of  his  captor  through  the  slats  of  the  corn-crib. 
Ardmore  returned  his  gaze  with  his  most  bland  and 
child-like  air.  Many  people  had  been  driven  to  the  point 
of  madness  by  Ardmore's  apparent  dullness.  The  pris 
oner  realized  that  he  must  launch  a  thunderbolt  if  he 
would  disturb  a  self-possession  so  complete — a  tranquil 
lity  as  sweet  as  the  fading  afternoon. 

"Mr.  Ardmore,  I  dislike  to  do  it,  but  your  amazing 
conduct  makes  it  necessary  for  me  to  disclose  my  iden 
tity,"  and  the  man's  manner  showed  real  embarrassment. 

"I  knew  it ;  I  knew  it ;"  nodded  Ardmore,  folding  his 
arms  across  his  chest.  "You're  either  the  King  of  Siain 
or  the  Prince  of  Petosky.  As  either,  I  salute  you !" 

"No  I"  roared  the  captive,  beating  impotently  against 
the  door  of  the  cage  with  his  hands.  "No !  I'm  the  gov 
ernor  of  South  Carolina !" 

This  statement  failed,  however,  to  produce  the  slight 
est  effect  on  Mr.  Ardmore,  who  only  smiled  slightly,  a 
smile  less  incredulous  than  disdainful. 

"Oh,  pshaw!  that's  nothing,"  he  replied;  "I'm  the 
governor  of  North  Carolina !"  and  mounting  his  horse 


THE  PRISONER  IN  THE  CORN-CRIB     333 

he  gravely  lifted  his  hat  to  the  prisoner  and  galloped 
away. 

While  Mr.  Ardmore  was  securing  his  prisoner  in  the 
corn-crib  it  may  be  interesting  to  return  for  a  moment  to 
the  haunted  log  cabin  on  Raccoon  Creek,  the  interior  of 
which  was  roughly  but  comfortably  furnished.  Above 
were  two  small  sleeping-rooms,  and  beside  the  bed  in 
each  stood  a  suit-case  and  a  hand-satchel.  In  each  room 
hung,  on  convenient  hooks,  a  long,  black  frock-coat,  a 
pair  of  trousers  of  light  cloth,  and  a  broad-brim  black 
felt  hat.  Coat,  trousers  and  hat  were  exactly  alike. 

In  the  room  below  sat  a  man  in  his  shirt-sleeves,  his 
feet  on  a  cheap  deal  table,  blowing  rings  from  a  cigar. 
He  presented  a  picture  of  the  greatest  ease  and  con 
tentment,  as  he  occasionally  stroked  his  short  brown 
beard,  or  threw  up  his  arms  and  clasped  his  hands  about 
his  head  or  caught  lazily  at  the  smoke  rings.  On  the 
table  lay  an  array  of  playing  cards  and  poker  chips. 

"Ifs  too  good  to  last  forever,"  the  lone  occupant  re 
flected  aloud,  stifling  a  yawn,  and  he  reached  out,  with 
careless  indifference,  toward  a  bundle  of  newspapers 
tied  together  with  a  piece  of  twine  and  drew  one  out 
and  spread  it  across  his  knees.  He  yawned  again  as 
though  the  thought  of  a  world  whose  affairs  were 


334  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

stamped  in  printer's  ink  bored  him  immensely;  and 
then  the  bold  head-lines  that  shouted  at  him  across  half 
a  quarter  of  the  sheet  caused  him  to  gasp,  and  his  feet 
struck  the  bare  floor  of  the  cabin  resoundingly.  He  now 
bent  over  the  paper  with  the  greatest  eagerness,  mut 
tering  as  he  read,  and  some  of  his  mutterings  were,  it 
must  be  confessed,  not  without  profane  embellishment. 

TWO    COWARDLY    GOVERNORS   MISSING 

SCANDAL  AFFECTING  Two  STATE  EXECUTIVES 

Is  THE  APPLEWEIGHT  CASE  RESPONSIBLE? 

RUMORS  OF  FATAL  DUEL  ON  STATE  LINE 

He  read  breathlessly  the  startling  story  that  followed 
the  head-lines,  then  rose  and  glanced  anxiously  at  his 
watch. 

"Am  I  drunk  or  mad?  I  must  find  Osborne  and  get 
out  of  this." 

He  leaped  to  the  open  door,  and  gazed  into  the  forest 
from  a  little  platform  that  commanded  all  sides  of  the 
cabin.  And  there,  to  his  utter  amazement,  he  saw  men 
in  khaki  emerging  cautiously  from  the  woods.  They 
were  unmistakably  soldiers  of  some  sort,  for  an  officer 
was  giving  sharp  commands,  and  the  line  opened  out 
like  a  fan  along  the  creek.  The  observer  of  this  maneu- 


THE  PRISONER  IN  THE  CORN-CRIB     335 

ver  mopped  his  head  with  his  handkerchief  as  he  watched 
the  alert  movements  of  the  figures  in  khaki. 

He  was  so  absorbed  that  he  failed  to  hear  stealthy 
steps  at  the  rear  of  the  platform,  but  he  was  now  rudely 
aroused  by  two  uniformed  youngsters  with  S.  C.  N.  G. 
on  their  caps,  who  sprang  upon  him  and  bore  him  with 
a  crash  to  the  puncheon  floor. 

"You're  our  prisoner!"  shouted  one  of  them,  rising 
when  he  found  that  the  prisoner  yielded  without  re 
sistance. 

"What  for?"  blurted  the  captive,  sitting  up  and  rub 
bing  his  elbow. 

"For  being  Bill  Appleweight,  alias  Poteet.  Get  up, 
now,  and  come  with  us  to  headquarters,  or  my  instruc 
tions  are  to  break  your  head." 

"Who  in  the  devil  are  you  ?"  panted  the  prisoner. 

"Well,  if  it's  anything  to  you,  we're  the  South  Caro 
lina  militia,  so  you'd  better  get  up  and  climb." 


CHAPTER   XVI 

THE   FLIGHT   OF   GILLINGWATER 

"It  will  be  better  for  me  to  break  the  news  to  Colonel 
Gillingwater/'  said  Jerry,  "and  you  must  go  out  and 
meet  the  troops  yourself,  with  Mr.  Cooke  and  that  amus 
ing  Mr.  Collins.  There  is  no  telling  what  effect  my 
tidings  will  have  on  Rutherford,  or  what  he  will  decide 
to  do.  He  has  never  before  been  so  near  trouble  as  he  is 
now,  and  I  may  have  to  give  him  first  aid  to  the  injured 
when  he  finds  out  that  the  South  Carolina  troops  are  on 
Raccoon  Creek,  all  ready  to  march  upon  our  sacred  soil." 

"But  suppose  your  adjutant-general  shouldn't  go  back 
to  his  troops  after  he  sees  you,  then  what  am  I  to  do  ?" 

"If  you  don't  see  him  by  ten  o'clock  you  will  take 
personal  command  and  exercise  your  own  discretion  as 
to  the  best  method  of  landing  Appleweight  in  a  South 
Carolina  jail.  After  that  we  must  find  papa,  and  it  will 
be  up  to  him  to  satisfy  the  newspapers  and  his  constitu 
ents  with  some  excuse  for  his  strange  disappearance." 

Collins  had  come  from  Raleigh  on  the  evening  train, 
336 


THE   PLIGHT    OF    GILLINGWATER     337 

and  he  had  solemnly  assured  Ardmore  that  the  present 
state  of  affairs  could  not  be  maintained  another  twenty- 
four  hours.  He  had  exhausted  his  professional  re 
sources,  and  the  North  Carolina  newspapers  of  all 
shades  of  opinion  were  clamoring  for  the  truth,  and 
were  insisting  that,  for  the  honor  and  dignity  of  the 
state,  Governor  Dangerfield  should  show  himself  in 
Raleigh.  Even  the  metropolitan  press,  which  Collins 
had  filled  for  several  days  with  blithe  stories  of  the  ad 
ministration's  vigorous  policy  in  the  Appleweight  case, 
had  refused  further  matter  from  him. 

"We've  got  to  find  Dangerfield  or  bust.  Now,  where 
is  that  eminent  statesman,  Ardmore  ?  You  can't  tell  me 
you  don't  know ;  but  if  you  don't,  Miss  Dangerfield  does, 
and  she's  got  to  tell." 

"She  hasn't  the  slightest  idea,  but  if  the  newspapers 
find  out  that  he's  really  and  truly  missing,  he  will  have 
to  show  up ;  but  first  we've  got  to  take  Appleweight  off 
that  case  of  Chateau  Bizet  and  lodge  him  in  the  jail  at 
Turner  Court  House,  and  let  Governor  Osborne  have  the 
odium  of  incarcerating  the  big  chief  of  the  border,  to 
whom  he  is  under  the  greatest  political  obligations." 

"But  if  s  all  over  the  country  now  that  Osborne  hasn't 
been  seer,  in  Columbia  since  he  and  Dangerfield  had  that 


338  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

row  in  New  Orleans.  Cranks  are  turning  up  every 
where,  pretending  to  be  governors  of  various  states, 
and  old  Dangerfield  is  seen  on  all  the  outgoing  steam 
ers.  There's  been  nothing  like  it  since  the  kidnapping 
of  Charley  Ross." 

Ardmore  drew  on  his  riding-gloves  reflectively,  and  a 
delighted  grin  illuminated  his  countenance. 

"I  caught  a  lunatic  down  on  the  Raccoon  this  after 
noon  who  said  he  was  the  governor  of  South  Carolina, 
and  I  locked  him  up." 

"Well,  he  may  be  Osborne,"  remarked  Collins,  with 
journalistic  suspicion. 

"And  he  may  be  a  Swiss  admiral  or  the  king  of  Mars. 
I  guess  I'm  a  governor  myself,  and  I  know  what  a 
governor  looks  like  and  acts  like— you  can't  fool  me.  I 
put  this  impostor  where  he'll  have  a  chance  to  study 
astronomy  to-night." 

"Then  he  isn't  on  that  case  of  Chateau  Bizet  with 
Appleweight?" 

"No;  I  locked  him  up  in  a  corn-crib  until  I  get  time 
to  study  his  credentials.  Come  along  now !" 

Ardmore,  Collins  and  Cooke  rode  rapidly  away 
through  the  wide  gates  of  the  estate  along  the  Sapphire 
road,  over  which,  by  his  last  bulletin,  the  adjutant- 


THE    FLIGHT   OF   GILLINGWATEfi     339 

general  of  North  Carolina  was  marching  his  troops. 
They  had  left  Cooke's  men  with  Paul's  foresters  to  guard 
the  house  and  to  picket  the  banks  of  the  Eaccoon  in  the 
immediate  neighborhood  of  the  camp  of  the  South  Caro 
linians. 

"I  guess  those  fellows  can  hold  'em  till  morning," 
said  Cooke.  "We've  got  to  clean  up  the  whole  business 
by  to-morrow  night.  You  can't  have  two  states  at  war 
with  each  other  this  way  without  shaking  up  the  uni 
verse,  and  if  federal  troops  come  down  here  to  straighten 
things  out  it  won't  be  funny." 

They  had  ridden  about  a  mile,  when  Cooke  checked 
his  horse  with  an  exclamation. 

"There's  somebody  coming  like  the  devil  was  after 
him.  It  must  be  Gillingwater." 

They  drew  rein  and  waited,  the  quick  patter  of  hoofs 
ringing  out  sharply  in  the  still  night.  The  moonlight 
gave  them  a  fair  sweep  of  the  road,  and  they  at  once  saw 
a  horseman  galloping  rapidly  toward  them. 

"Lordy,  the  man's  on  fire !"  gasped  Ardmore. 

"By  George,  you're  right !"  muttered  Collins,  moving 
nervously  in  his  saddle.  "It's  a  human  sunburst." 

"It's  only  his  gold  braid,"  explained  the  practical 
Cooke. 


340  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  K1LDARE 

"He  must  have  on  solid  gold  armor,  then,"  declared 
Collins. 

Seeing  three  men  drawn  across  the  road,  the  horse 
man  began,  to  check  his  flight. 

"Men !"  he  shouted,  as  his  horse  pawed  the  air  with 
its  forefeet,  "is  this  the  road  to  Ardsley?" 

"Right  you  are,"  yelled  Cooke,  and  they  were  aware 
of  a  flash,  a  glitter  that  startled  and  dazzled  the  eye, 
and  Colonel  Rutherford  Gillingwater  thundered  on. 

Ardmore  looked  at  his  watch. 

"He's  undoubtedly  a  man  of  action,  if  I  ever  saw  one ; 
and  I  think  we  are  to  be  congratulated  on  having  so 
gallant  a  commander  for  our  troops,"  said  the  master 
of  Ardsley;  but  the  sight  of  Rutherford  Gillingwater 
had  filled  his  soul  with  jealous  forebodings.  He  had 
heard  that  women  are  prone  to  fall  in  worship  before 
warriors  in  their  battle  armor,  and  he  was  sure  that 
Jerry  Dangerfield  was  a  girl  of  infinitely  kind  heart, 
who  might  not,  when  face  to  face  with  the  issue,  subject 
the  man  she  had  engaged  to  marry  to  any  severe  test. 

They  rode  on,  however,  and  saw  presently  the  lights 
of  camp-fires,  and  a  little  later  were  ceremoniously 
halted  at  the  roadside  by  an  armed  guard. 

It  had  been  arranged  that  Collins,  who  had  once  been 


THE   FLIGHT    OF    GILL1NGWATER     341 

a  second  lieutenant  in  the  Georgia  militia,  should  be 
presented  as  an  officer  of  the  regular  army,  detailed  as 
special  aide  to  Governor  Dangerfield  during  the  encamp 
ment,  and  that  in  case  Gillingwater  failed  to  return 
promptly  he  should  take  command  of  the  North  Caro 
lina  forces. 

An  open  field  had  been  seized  for  the  night's  camp, 
and  the  tents  already  shone  white  in  the  moonlight. 
The  three  men  introduced  themselves  to  the  militia 
officers,  and  Collins  expressed  their  regret  that  they  had 
missed  the  adjutant-general. 

"Governor  Dangerfield  wished  you  to  move  your  force 
on  to  Ardsley  should  we  fail  to  meet  Colonel  Gilling 
water;  and  you  had  better  strike  your  tents  and  be  in 
readiness  to  advance  in  case  he  doesn't  personally  return 
with  orders." 

Captain  Collins,  as  he  had  designated  himself,  apolo 
gized  for  not  being  in  uniform. 

"I  lost  my  baggage  train,"  he  laughed,  "and  Governor 
Dangerfield  is  so  anxious  not  to  miss  this  opportunity 
to  settle  the  Appleweight  case  that  I  hurried  out  to  meet 
you  with  these  gentlemen." 

" Appleweight !"  exclaimed  the  group  of  officers  in 
amazement. 


342  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  K1LDARE 

"None  other  than  the  great  Appleweight !"  responded 
Collins.  "The  governor  has  him  in  his  own  hands  at 
last,  and  is  going  to  carry  him  across  the  border  and  into 
a  South  Carolina  bastile,  as  a  little  pleasantry  on  the 
governor  of  South  Carolina/' 

"He's  had  a  sudden  change  of  heart  if  he's  captured 
Appleweight,"  remarked  a  major  incredulously.  "His 
policy  has  always  been  to  let  old  Bill  alone." 

"It's  only  a  ripple  of  the  general  reform  wave  that's 
sweeping  the  country,"  suggested  Ardmore  cheerfully. 
"Turn  the  rascals  out ;  put  the  rascals  in ;  keep  the  peo 
ple  hopeful  and  the  jails  full.  That's  the  Dangerfield 
watchword." 

"Well,  I  guess  Dangerfield  knows  how  to  drive  the 
hearse  if  there's  got  to  be  a  funeral,"  observed  the  quar 
termaster.  "The  governor's  not  a  man  to  ride  inside  if 
he  can  find  another  corpse." 

And  they  all  laughed  and  accepted  the  situation  as 
promising  better  diversion  than  they  had  expected  from 
the  summer  maneuvers. 

The  militia  officers  gave  the  necessary  orders  for 
breaking  the  half-formed  camp,  and  then  turned  their 
attention  to  the  entertainment  of  their  guests.  Ardmore 
kept  track  of  the  time,  and  promptly  at  ten  o'clock 


THE    FLIGHT    OF    GILLINGWATER      343 

Collins  rose  from  the  log  by  the  roadside  where  they  had 
been  sitting. 

"We  must  obey  the  governor's  orders,  gentlemen," 
said  Collins  courteously,  "and  march  at  once  to  Ardsley. 
I,  you  understand,  am  only  a  courier,  and  your  guest 
for  the  present." 

"If  you  please,"  asked  Cooke,  when  the  line  had  begun 
to  move  forward,  "what  is  that  wagon  over  there?" 

He  pointed  to  a  mule  team  hitched  to  a  quarter 
master's  wagon  that  a  negro  was  driving  into  position 
across  the  rough  field.  It  was  piled  high  with  luggage, 
a  pyramid  that  rose  black  against  the  heavens.  One 
of  the  militia  officers,  evidently  greatly  annoyed,  bawled 
to  the  driver  to  get  back  out  of  the  way. 

"Pardon  me,"  said  Collins  politely,  "but  is  that  your 
personal  baggage,  gentlemen?" 

"That  belongs  to  Colonel  Gillingwater,"  remarked  the 
quartermaster.  "The  rest  of  us  have  a  suit-case  apiece." 

"Do  }'ou  mean,"  demanded  Ardmore,  "that  the  adju 
tant-general  carries  all  that  luggage  for  himself  ?" 

"That  is  exactly  it !  But,"  continued  the  quarter 
master  loyally,  "you  never  can  tell  what  will  happen 
when  you  take  the  field  this  way,  and  our  chief  is  not  a 
man  to  forget  any  of  the  details  of  military  life." 


344  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

"In  Washington  we  all  think  very  highly  of  Colonel 
Gillingwater,"  remarked  Collins,  with  noble  condescen 
sion,  "and  in  case  we  should  become  involved  in  war  he 
would  undoubtedly  be  called  to  high  rank  in  the  regular 
establishment.'' 

"It's  too  bad,"  said  Cooke,  as  the  three  drew  aside  and 
waited  for  a  battery  of  light  artillery  to  rumble  into 
place  behind  the  infantry,  "it's  too  bad,  Collins,  that 
it  didn't  occur  to  you  to  impersonate  the  president  of 
the  French  Republic  or  Emperor  William.  You'll  be 
my  death  before  we  finish  this  job." 

"This  won't  be  so  funny  when  Dangerfield  gets  hold 
of  us,"  grinned  the  reporter.  "We'd  better  cheer  up  all 
we  can  now.  We're  playing  with  the  state  of  North 
Carolina  as  though  it  were  a  bean-bag.  But  what's  that 
over  there  ?" 

The  pyramidal  baggage  wagon  had  gained  the  road 
behind  them,  and  lingered  uncertainty,  with  the  driver 
asleep  and  waiting  for  orders.  The  conspirators  were 
about  to  gallop  forward  to  the  head  of  the  moving  col 
umn,  when  Collins  pointed  across  the  abandoned  camp 
ground  to  where  a  horseman,  who  had  evidently  made  a 
wide  detour  of  the  advancing  column,  rode  madly  to 
ward  the  baggage  wagon. 


THE    FLIGHT    OF    GILLINGWATER      345 

"The  gentleman's  trying  to  kill  his  horse,  I  should 
judge,"  murmured  Ardmore.  "By  Jove !" 

"It's  Gillingwater !"  chorused  the  trio. 

The  rider  in  his  haste  had  overlooked  the  men  in  the 
road.  He  dashed  through  the  wide  opening  in  the  fence, 
left  by  the  militiamen,  took  the  ditch  by  the  roadside 
at  a  leap,  wakened  the  sleeping  driver  on  the  wagon 
with  a  roar,  and  himself  leaped  upon  the  box  and  began 
turning  the  horses. 

"What  do  you  think  he's  doing?"   asked  Cooke. 

"He's  in  a  hurry  to  get  back  to  mother's  cooking," 
replied  Ardmore.  "He's  seen  Miss  Dangerneld  and 
learned  that  warjs  at  hand,  and  he's  going  to  get  his 
clothes  out  of  danger.  Lordy !  Listen  to  him  slashing 
the  mules !" 

"Rut  you  don't  think—" 

The  wagon  had  swung  round,  and  already  was  in 
rapid  flight.  Collins  howled  in  glee. 

"Come  on !    We  can't  miss  a  show  like  this !" 

"Leave  the  horses  then !  There's  a  hill  there  that  will 
break  his  neck.  We'd  better  stop  him  if  we  can !"  cried 
Cooke,  dismounting. 

They  threw  their  reins  to  the  driver  of  the  wagon, 
.who  had  been  brushed  from  his  seat  by  the  impaticrt 


546  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KJLDARE 

adjutant-general,  and  was  chanting  weirdly  to  himself 
at  the  roadside. 

The  wagon,  piled  high  with  trunks  and  boxes,  was 
dashing  forward,  G-illingwater  belaboring  the  mules 
furiously,  and,  hearing  the  shouts  of  strange  pursuers, 
yelling  at  the  team  in  a  voice  shrill  with  fear. 

"Come  on,  boys !"  shouted  Ardmore,  thoroughly 
aroused,  "catch  the  spy  and  traitor !" 

The  road  dipped  down  into  the  shadow  of  a  deep  cut, 
where  the  moon's  dim  rays  but  feebly  penetrated,  and 
where  the  flow  of  springs  had  softened  the  surface ;  but 
the  pursuers  were  led  on  by  the  rumble  of  the  wagon, 
which  swung  from  side  to  side  perilously,  the  boxes 
swinging  about  noisily  and  toppling  threateningly  at 
the  apex.  Down  the  sharp  declivity  the  wagon  plunged 
like  a  ship  bound  for  the  bottom  of  the  sea. 

The  pursuers  bent  gamely  to  their  task  in  the  rough 
road,  with  Cooke  slightly  in  the  lead.  Suddenly  he 
shouted  warningly  to  the  others,  as  something  rose 
darkly  above  them  like  a  black  cloud,  and  a  trunk  fell 
with  a  mighty  crash  only  a  few  feet  ahead  of  them.  The 
top  had  been  shaken  off  in  the  fall,  and  into  it  head  first 
plunged  Ardmore. 

"There's  another  coming!"  yelled  Collins,  and  a  much 


THE    FLIGHT    OF    GILLINGWATER      317 

larger  trunk  struck  and  split  upon  a  rock  at  the  road 
side.  Clothing  of  many  kinds  strewed  the  highway.  A 
pair  of  trousers,  flung  fiercely  into  the  air,  caught  on  the 
limb  of  a  tree,  shook  free  like  a  banner,  and  hung  there 
somberly  etched  against  the  stars. 

Ardmore  crawled  out  of  the  trunk,  screaming  with 
delight.  The  fragrance  of  toilet  water  broke  freshly 
upon  the  air. 

"It's  his  ammunition !"  bawled  Ardmore,  rubbing  his 
head  where  he  had  struck  the  edge  of  a  tray.  "His  scent 
bottles  are  smashed,  and  it's  only  by  the  grace  of  Provi 
dence  that  I  haven't  cut  myself  on  broken  glass." 

"Thump !    Bump !"  sounded  down  the  road. 

"Are  those  pants  up  there  ?"  asked  Cooke,  pointing, 
"or  is  it  a  hole  in  the  sky  ?" 

"This,"  said  Collins,  picking  up  a  garment  from  the 
bush  over  which  it  had  spread  itself,  "has  every  appear 
ance  of  being  his  little  nightie.  How  indelicate !" 

"No,"  said  Ardmore,  taking  it  from  him,  "it's  a 
kimona  of  the  most  expensive  silk,  which  the  colonel 
undoubtedly  wears  when  they  get  him  up  at  midnight  to 
hear  the  reports  of  his  scouts." 

They  went  down  the  road,  stumbling  now  and  then 
over  a  bit  of  debris  from  the  vanished  wagon. 


348  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

"It's  like  walking  on  carpet,"  observed  Cooke,  pick 
ing  up  a  feathered  chapeau.  "I  didn't  know  there  were 
so  many  clothes  in  all  the  world." 

They  abandoned  the  idea  of  farther  pursuit  on  reach 
ing  a  trunk  standing  on  end,  from  which  a  uniform 
dress-coat  drooped  sadly. 

"This  is  not  our  trouble;  it's  his  trouble.  I  guess 
he's  struck  a  smoother  road  down  there.  We'd  better 
go  back,"  said  Cooke. 

"Whom  the  gods  would  destroy  they  first  dress  in 
glad  rags,"  piped  Collins. 

They  sat  down  and  laughed  until  the  negro  approached 
warily  with  the  horses. 

"He's  lost  his  raiment,  but  saved  his  life,"  sputtered 
Collins,  climbing  into  his  saddle. 

"He's  lost  more  than  that,"  remarked  Ardmore,  and 
his  flushed  countenance,  noted  by  the  others  as  he 
lighted  a  cigarette,  was  cheerfuller  than  they  had  ever 
seen  it  before. 

In  a  moment  they  had  climbed  the  hill  and  were  in 
hot  pursuit  of  the  adjutant-general's  abandoned  army. 


CHAPTEE  XVII 


"Who  goes  there?" 

"A  jug." 

"What  kind  of  a  jug?" 

"A  little  brown  jug  from  Kildare." 

Thus  Mr.  Thomas  Ardmore  tested  his  pickets  with  a 
shibboleth  of  his  own  devising.  The  sturdy  militiamen 
of  North  Carolina  patrolled  the  northern  bank  of  Rac 
coon  Creek  at  midnight,  aware  that  that  riotous  flood 
alone  separated  them  from  their  foes.  The  terraces  at 
Ardsley  bristled  with  the  guns  of  the  First  Light  Bat 
tery,  while,  upon  a  cot  in  the  wine  cellar  beneath,  Mr. 
Bill  Appleweight,  alias  Poteet,  slept  the  sleep  of  the 
just. 

He  was  rudely  aroused,  however,  at  one  o'clock  in  the 
morning  by  Ardmore,  Cooke  and  Collins,  and  taken  out 
through  the  kitchen  to  one  of  the  Ardsley  farm  wagons. 
Big  Paul  held  the  reins,  and  four  of  Cooke's  detectives 
were  mounted  as  escort.  Ardmore,  Cooke  and  Collins 
were  to  accompany  the  party  as  a  board  of  strategy  in 

349 


350  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARB 

the  movement  upon  Turner  Court  House,  South  Caro 
lina. 

Appleweight,  the  terror  of  the  border,  blinked  at  the 
lanterns  that  flashed  about  him  in  the  courtyard.  He 
had  been  numbed  by  his  imprisonment,  and  even  now 
he  yielded  himself  docilely  to  the  inevitable.  His  cap 
ture  in  the  first  instance  at  Mount  Nebo  had  been  clear 
enough,  and  he  could  have  placed  his  hand  on  the  men 
who  did  it  if  he  had  been  free  for  a  couple  of  hours. 
This  he  had  pondered  over  his  solacing  solitaire  as  he 
sat  on  the  case  of  Chateau  Bizet  in  the  Ardsley  wine 
cellar ;  but  the  subsequent  events  had  been  altogether  too 
much  for  him.  He  had  been  taken  from  his  original 
captors  by  a  girl,  and  while  the  ignominy  of  this  was 
not  lost  on  the  outlaw,  his  wits  had  been  unequal  to  the 
further  fact,  which  he  had  no  ground  for  disbelieving, 
that  this  captivity  within  the  walls  of  Ardsley  had  been 
due  to  a  daughter  of  that  very  governor  of  North  Caro 
lina  whom  he  had  counted  his  friend.  Why  the  girl 
had  interested  herself  in  his  seizure  and  incarceration; 
why  he  had  been  carried  to  the  great  house  of  a  New 
York  gentleman  whom  he  had  never  harmed  in  the  least ; 
and  why,  more  than  all,  he  should  have  been  locked  in  a 
room  filled  with  bottles  bearing  absurd  and  unintelli- 


ON   THE   ROAD   TO   TURNER'S         351 

gible  titles,  and  containing,  he  had  learned  by  much 
despairing  experiment,  liquids  that  singularly  failed  to 
satisfy  thirst — these  were  questions  before  which  Apple- 
weight,  alias  Poteet,  bowed  his  head  helplessly. 

"The  road  between  Kildare  and  Turner's  is  fairly 
good,"  announced  Cooke,  "though  we've  got  to  travel 
four  miles  to  strike  it.  Griswold  evidently  thinks  that 
holding  the  creek  is  all  there  is  of  this  business,  and  he 
won't  find  out  till  morning  that  we've  crawled  round 
his  line  and  placed  Appleweight  in  jail  at  Turner's 
where  he  belongs." 

"You  must  have  a  good  story  ready  for  the  press, 
Collins,"  said  Ardmore.  "The  North  Carolina  border 
counties  don't  want  Appleweight  injured,  and  Governor 
Dangerfield  don't  want  any  harm  to  come  to  him — you 
may  be  sure  of  that,  or  Bill  would  have  been  doing  time 
long  ago.  The  moral  element  in  the  larger  cities  and 
the  people  in  Boston  and  Springfield,  Massachusetts, 
who  only  hear  of  Appleweight  in  the  newspapers,  want 
him  punished,  and  we  must  express  to  them  our  right 
eous  indignation  that  he  has  been  kidnapped  and 
dragged  away  from  our  vengeance  by  the  governor  of 
South  Carolina,  who  wants  him  in  his  own  state  merely 
to  protect  him.  We  can  come  pretty  near  pleasing  every- 


352  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  K1LDARE 

body  if  you  work  it  right,  Collins.  Our  manner  of 
handling  the  matter  will  do  much  to  increase  Governor 
Dangerfield's  popularity  with  all  classes." 

"Gentlemen,  it  was  very  impolite  of  you  not  to  tell 
me  you  were  ready  to  start!"  and  Jerry  came  briskly 
from  the  side  entrance,  dressed  for  the  saddle  and  nib 
bling  a  biscuit. 

"But  you  are  not  to  go !  I  thought  that  was  under 
stood  I"  cried  Ardmore. 

"It  may  have  been  understood  by  you,  Mr.  Ardmore, 
but  not  by  me !  I  should  never  forgive  myself  if,  after 
all  the  trouble  I  have  taken  to  straighten  out  this  little 
matter,  I  should  not  be  in  at  the  finish.  Will  you  kindly 
get  me  a  horse  ?" 

Miss  Dangerfield's  resolution  was  not  to  be  shaken, 
and  a  few  minutes  later  the  party  moved  out  from  the 
courtyard.  Cooke  rode  several  hundred  >ards  ahead; 
then  two  detectives  preceded  the  wagon,  in  which  Apple- 
weight  sat  on  a  cross-seat  with  two  more  of  Cookers  men 
on  a  seat  just  behind  him.  He  was  tied  and  gagged, 
and  an  old  derby  hat  (supplied  by  Paul)  had  been 
clapped  upon  the  side  of  his  head  at  an  angle  that  gave 
him  a  jaunty  air  belied  by  his  bonds.  Though  his 
tongue  was  silenced,  his  eyes  were  at  once  eloquent  of 


CIST  THE   ROAD  TO   TURNER'S        353 

wonderment,  resignation  and  impotent  rage.  Beside 
the  wagon  rode  Miss  Jerry  Dangerfield,  alert  and  con 
tented.  Ardmore  and  Collins  were  immediately  behind 
her,  and  she  indulged  the  journalist  in  some  mild  chaff 
from  time  to  time,  to  his  infinite  delight,  though  con 
siderably  to  Ardmore's  distress  of  heart ;  for,  though  no 
words  had  passed  between  him  and  Jerry  as  to  the  dis 
graceful  flight  of  the  adjutant-general,  yet  the  master 
of  Ardsley  was  in  a  jealous  mood.  The  moon  had  left 
the  conspirators  to  the  softer  radiance  of  the  stars,  but 
there  was  sufficient  light  for  Ardmore  to  mark  the 
gentle  lines  of  Jerry's  face,  as  she  lifted  it  now  and  then 
to  scan  the  bright  globes  above. 

Paul  drove  his  team  at  a  trot  over  the  smooth  road 
of  the  estate  to  a  remote  and  little-used  gate  on  the 
southern  side,  but  still  safely  removed  from  the  South 
Carolina  pickets  along  the  Raccoon. 

"It's  all  right  over  there,"  remarked  Collins,  jerking 
his  head  toward  the  creek.  "The  fronting  armies  are 
waiting  for  morning  and  battle.  I  suppose  that  when 
we  send  word  to  Griswold  that  Appleweight  is  in  a  South 
Carolina  jail  it  will  change  the  scene  of  operations.  It 
will  then  be  Governor  Osborne's  painful  task  to  dance 
between  law-and-order  sentiment  and  the  loud  cursing 


354  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

of  his  border  constituents.  The  possibilities  of  this 
rumpus  grow  on  me,  Ardmore." 

"There  is  no  rumpus,  Mr.  Collins/'  said  Jerry  over 
her  shoulder.  "The  governor  of  North  Carolina  is 
merely  giving  expression  to  his  civic  pride  and  virtue." 

Leaving  Ardsley,  they  followed  a  dismal  stretch  of 
road  until  they  reached  the  highway  that  connects 
Turner's  and  Kildare. 

"It's  going  to  be  morning  pretty  soon.  We  must  get 
the  prisoner  into  Turner's  by  five  o'clock.  Trot  'em  up, 
Paul,"  ordered  Cooke. 

They  were  all  in  capital  spirits  now,  with  a  fairly 
good  road  before  them,  leading  straight  to  Turner's,  and 
with  no  expectation  of  any  trouble  in  landing  their 
prisoner  safely  in  jail.  A  wide  publication  of  the  fact 
that  Appleweight  had  been  dragged  from  North  Caro 
lina  and  locked  in  a  South  Carolina  jail  would  have  the 
effect  of  clearing  Governor  Dangerfield's  skirts  of  any 
complicity  with  the  border  outlaws,  while  at  the  same 
time  making  possible  a  plausible  explanation  by  Gov 
ernor  Dangerfield  to  the  men  in  the  hills  of  the  con 
temptible  conduct  of  the  governor  of  South  Carolina  in 
effecting  the  arrest  of  their  great  chief. 

They  were  well  into  South   Carolina  territory  now, 


ON   THE   ROAD    TO    TURNER'S          355 

and  were  jogging  on  at  a  sharp  trot,  when  suddenly 
Cooke  turned  back  and  halted  the  wagon. 

"There's  something  coming — wait  I" 

"Maybe  Bill's  friends  are  out  looking  for  him/'  sug 
gested  Collins. 

"Or  it  may  be  Grissy,"  cried  Ardmore  in  sudden 
alarm. 

"Your  professor  is  undoubtedly  asleep  in  his  camp  on 
the  Raccoon,"  replied  Collins  contemptuously.  "Do  not 
be  alarmed,  Mr.  Ardmore/' 

Cooke  impatiently  bade  them  be  quiet. 

"If  we're  accosted,  what  shall  we  say  ?"  he  asked. 

"We'll  say,"  replied  Jerry  instantly,  "that  one  of  the 
laborers  at  Ardsley  is  dead,  and  that  we  are  taking  his 
remains  to  his  wife's  family  at  Turner's.  I  shall  be  his 
grief-stricken  widow." 

The  guards  already  had  Appleweight  down  on  the 
floor  of  the  wagon,  where  one  of  them  sat  on  his  feet  to 
make  sure  he  did  not  create  a  disturbance.  At  her  own 
suggestion  Jerry  dismounted  and  climbed  into  the  wag 
on,  where  she  sat  on  the  side  board,  with  her  head 
deeply  bowed  as  though  in  grief. 

"Pretty  picture  of  a  sorrowing  widow,"  mumbled 
Collins.  Ardmore  punched  him  in  the  ribs  to  make  hv 


366  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

stop  laughing.  To  the  quick  step  of  walking  horses 
ahead  of  them  was  now  added  the  whisper  and  creak  of 
leather. 

"Hello,  there!"  yelled  Cooke,  wishing  to  take  the 
initiative. 

"Hey-0 !"  answered  a  voice,  and  all  was  still. 

"Give  us  the  road ;  we're  taking  a  body  into  Turner's 
to  catch  the  morning  train,"  called  Cooke. 

"Who's  dead?" 

"One  of  Ardmore's  Dutchmen.  Shipping  the  corpse 
back  to  Germany." 

The  party  ahead  of  them  paused  as  though  debating 
the  case. 

The  north-bound  party  was  a  blur  in  the  road.  Their 
liorses  sniffed  and  moved  restlessly  about  as  their  riders 
conferred. 

"Give  us  the  road!"  shouted  Cooke.  "We  haven't 
much  time  to  catch  our  train." 

"Who  did  you  say  was  dead  ?" 

"Karl  Schmidt,"  returned  Paul  promptly. 

Ardmore's  heart  sank,  fearful  lest  an  inspection  of 
the  corpse  should  be  proposed.  But  at  this  moment  a 
^ail,  eerie  and  heart-breaking,  rose  and  fell  dismally 
upon  the  night.  It  was  Jerry  mourning  her  dead  hus- 


ON   THE   EOAD   TO   TURNER'S         357 

band,  her  slight  figure  swaying  back  and  forth  over  his 
body  in  an  abandon  of  grief. 

"De  poor  vidow — she  be  mit  us,"  called  out  big  Paul, 
forsaking  his  usual  excellent  English  for  guttural  dia 
lect. 

"Who  are  you  fellows?"  demanded  Cooke,  spurring 
his  horse  forward.  The  horsemen,  to  his  surprise,  seemed 
to  draw  back,  and  he  heard  a  voice  speak  out  sharply, 
followed  by  a  regrouping  of  the  riders  at  the  side  of  the 
road. 

"We  been  to  a  dance  at  Turner's,  and  air  goin'  back 
home  to  Kildare,"  came  the  reply. 

"That  seems  all  right,"  whispered  Ardmore  to  Col 
lins. 

"Thus,"  muttered  Collins,  "in  the  midst  of  death  we 
are  in  life,"  and  this,  reaching  Jerry,  caused  her  to  bend 
over  the  corpse  at  her  feet  as  though  in  a  convulsive 
spasm  of  sorrow,  whereupon,  to  add  color  to  their  story, 
Paul  rumbled  off  a  few  consolatory  sentences  in  Ger 
man. 

"Give  us  the  road !"  commanded  Cooke,  and  without 
further  parley  they  started  ahead,  closing  about  the 
wagon  to  diminish,  as  far  as  possible,  the  size  of  the 
caravan.  Paul  kept  the  horses  at  a  walk,  as  became 


358  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KTLDARE 

their  sad  errand,  and  Jerry  continued  to  weep  dolor 
ously. 

They  passed  the  horsemen  at  a  slight  rise  in  the  roll 
ing  road.  The  party  bound  for  Turners  moved  steadily 
forward,  the  horsemen  huddled  about  the  wagon,  with 
Jerry's  led  horse  between  Ardmore  and  Collins  at  the 
rear.  At  the  top  of  the  knoll  hung  the  returning  danc 
ers,  well  to  the  left  of  the  road,  permitting  with  due 
respect  the  passing  of  the  funeral  party.  One  of  the 
men,  Ardmore  could  have  sworn,  lifted  his  hat  until  the 
wagon  had  passed.  Then  some  one  called  good  night, 
and,  looking  back,  Ardmore  saw  them — a  dozen  men,  he 
judged — regain  the  road  and  quietly  resume  their  jour 
ney  toward  Kildare. 

"Pretty  peaceable  for  fellows  who've  been  attending 
a  dance,"  suggested  Collins,  craning  his  neck  to  look 
after  them. 

Cooke  turned  back  with  the  same  observation,  and 
seemed  troubled. 

"I  was  afraid  to  look  too  closely  at  those  men.  They 
seemed  rather  too  sober,  and  I  was  struck  with  the  fact 
that  they  bunched  up  pretty  close,  as  though  they  were 
hiding  something." 

"They  were  afraid  of  the  corpse,"  remarked  Collins 


ON    THE    ROAD    TO    TURNER'S          359 

readily.  "To  meet-  a  dead  man  on  a  lonely  road  at  this 
hour  of  the  morning  is  enough  to  sober  the  most  riot 
ous/' 

"One  fellow  lifted  his  hat  as  we  passed,  and  I 
thought'—" 

"Well,  what  did  you  think,  Mr.  Ardmore  ?"  demanded 
Cooke  impatiently. 

"Well,  it  may  seem  strange,  but  I  thought  there  was 
something  about  that  chap  that  suggested  Grissy.  It 
would  be  like  Grissy  to  lift  his  hat  to  a  corpse  under  any 
circumstances.  He  has  spent  a  whole  lot  of  time  in 
Paris,  and  besides,  he  never  forgets  his  manners." 

"But  suppose  it  was  Griswold,"  said  Cooke,  wishing 
to  dispose  of  the  suspicion,  "what  could  he  be  doing  out 
here?  He  hasn't  Appleweight — we  know  that;  and  he 
has  just  now  missed  his  chance  of  ever  getting  him." 

They  paused  to  allow  Jerry  to  resume  her  horse,  and 
one  of  the  detectives  joined  in  the  conference  to  venture 
his  opinion  that  the  men  they  had  passed  were  in  uni 
form.  "They  looked  like  militia  to  me,"  and  as  he  was 
a  careful  man,  Cooke  took  note  of  his  remark,  though 
he  made  no  comment. 

"Suppose  they  were  in  uniform,"  said  Jerry  lightly; 
"they  can  do  no  harm,  and  as  we  are  now  in  South  Car- 


360  THE  LITTLE  BBOWN  JUG  AT  KILDAEE 

olina,  and  they  are  not  our  troops,  it  would  not  be 
proper  for  us  to  molest  them.  Let  us  go  on,  for  Mr.  Ap- 
pleweight's  widow  is  not  anxious  to  miss  her  train  back 
to  the  fatherland." 

"If  they  were  a  detail  of  the  enemy's  militia,  they 
would  have  held  us  up,"  declared  Cooke  with  finality. 

But  as  they  moved  on  toward  Turner's,  Ardmore  was 
still  troubled  over  what  had  seemed  to  him  the  remark 
able  Parisian  courtesy  of  the  returning  reveler  who  had 
lifted  his  hat  as  the  corpse  passed.  Grissy,  he  kept 
saying  over  and  over  to  himself,  was  no  fool  by  any 
manner  of  means,  and  he  was  unable  to  conjecture  why 
the  associate  professor  of  admiralty,  known  to  be  de 
tached  on  special  duty  for  the  governor  of  South  Caro 
lina,  should  be  riding  to  Kildare,  unless  he  contemplated 
some  coup  of  importance. 

The  stars  paled  under  the  growing  light  of  the  early 
summer  dawn.  Appleweight,  with  shoulders  wearily 
drooping,  contemplated  the  attending  cortege  with  the 
ga^e  of  one  who  sullenly  accepts  a  condition  he  does  not 
in  the  least  understand. 

A  few  early  risers  saw  the  strange  company  enter  and 
proceed  to  the  jail ;  but  before  half  the  community  had 
breakfasted,  Bill  Appleweight,  the  outlaw,  was  securely 


ON    THE    EOAD    TO    TURNER'S         361 

locked  in  jail  in  Turner  Court  House,  the  seat  of  Mingo 
County,  in  the  state  of  South  Carolina,  and  the  jailer, 
moreover,  was  sharing  the  distinguished  captive's  thral 
dom. 

Collins,  at  the  railway  station,  was  announcing  to  the 
world  the  fact  that  at  the  very  moment  when  Governor 
Dangerfield  was  about  to  seize  Appleweight  and  punish 
him  for  his  crimes,  the  outlaw  had  been  kidnapped  in 
North  Carolina,  and  taken  under  cover  of  night  to  a  jail 
in  South  Carolina  where  Governor  Osborne  might  be 
expected  to  shield  him  from  serious  prosecution  with  all 
the  power  of  his  high  office. 


CHAPTER   XVIII 

THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  RACCOON 

Mrs.  Atchison  met  the  returning  adventurers  at  the 
door. 

"Your  conduct,  Jerry  Dangerfield,  is  beyond  words  I" 
she  exclaimed,  seizing  the  girl's  hands.  "And  so  you 
really  locked  that  horrid  person  in  a  real  jail !  Well,  we 
shan't  miss  him !  We  have  been  kept  up  all  night  by  the 
arrival  here  of  other  prisoners — brought  in  like  parcels 
from  the  grocer's." 

"More  prisoners  \"  shouted  Ardmore. 

"Dragged  here  at  an  unearthly  hour  of  the  morning, 
and  flung  into  the  most  impossible  places  by  your  sol 
diers  !  You  can  hear  them  yelling  without  much  trouble 
from  the  drawing-room,  and  we  had  to  give  up  break 
fast  because  the  racket  they  are  making  was  so  annoy 
ing." 

The  captain  of  the  battery  whose  guns  frowned  upon 
the  terraces  came  up  and  saluted. 

"Mr.  Ardmore,"  he  said,  "I  have  been  trying  for  sev- 
302 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  RACCOON   363 

eral  hours  to  see  Governor  Danger-field,  but  this  lady 
tells  me  that  he  has  left  Ardsley." 

"That  is  quite  true;  the  governor  was  called  away 
last  night  on  official  business,  and  he  will  not  return  for 
an  hour  or  two.  You  will  kindly  state  your  business 
to  me/' 

The  captain  was  peevish  from  loss  of  sleep,  and  by  no 
means  certain  that  he  cared  to  transact  business  with 
Mr.  Ardmore.  He  glanced  at  Miss  Pangerfield,  whom 
he  had  met  often  at  Raleigh,  and  the  governor's  daugh 
ter  met  the  situation  promptly. 

"Captain  Webb,  what  prisoners  have  you  taken,  and 
why  are  they  not  gagged  to  prevent  this  hideous  noise  ?" 

Seemingly  from  beneath  the  ample  porte-cochere, 
where  this  colloquy  occurred,  rose  yells,  groans  and 
curses,  and  the  sound  of  thumps,  as  of  the  impact  of 
human  bodies  against  remote  subterranean  doors. 

"They're  trying  to  get  loose,  Miss  Dangerfield,  and 
they  refuse  to  stay  tied.  The  fiercest  row  is  from  the 
fellows  we  chucked  into  the  coal  bins/' 

"It's  excellent  anthracite,  the  best  I  can  buy;  they 
ought  to  be  glad  it  isn't  soft  coal,"  replied  Ardmore 
defensively.  "Who  are  they  ?" 

"They're  newspaper  men,  and  they're  most  terribly 


364  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

enraged/'  answered  Captain  Webb.  "We  picked  them 
up  one  at  a  time  in  different  places  on  the  estate.  They 
say  they^re  down  here  looking  for  Governor  Danger- 
field." 

Collins  grinned  his  delight. 

"Oh,  perfect  hour!"  he  sang.  "We'll  keep  them  until 
they  promise  to  be  good  and  print  what  we  tell  them. 
The  little  squeaky  voice  you  hear  occasionally — hark! 
— that's  Peck,  of  the  Consolidated  Press.  He  scooped 
me  once  on  a  lynching,  and  here  is  where  I  get  even 
with  him." 

"You  have  done  well,  Captain  Webb,"  said  Jerry  with 
dignity,  "and  I  shall  urge  your  promotion  upon  papa  at 
the  earliest  moment  possible.  Are  these  newspaper  gen 
tlemen  your  only  prisoners  ?" 

"No;  we  gathered  up  two  other  parties,  and  one  of 
them  is  in  the  servants'  laundry;  the  other,  a  middle- 
aged  person,  I  lodged  in  the  tower,  where  he  can  enjoy 
the  scenery." 

He  pointed  to  the  tower,  from  which  the  flag  of 
North  Carolina  waved  gently  in  the  morning  breeze. 

"The  prisoner  up  there  made  an  awful  rumpus.  He 
declares  he  will  ruin  the  whole  state  of  North  Carolina 
for  this.  Here  is  his  card,  which,  in  a  comparatively 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  KACCOON   365 

lucid  interval,  he  gave  me  to  hand  you  at  the  earliest 
possible  moment,"  and  Captain  Webb  placed  a  visiting 
card  in  Ardmore's  hands. 

A  smile  struggled  for  possession  of  Ardmore's  coun 
tenance,  but  he  regained  control  of  himself  promptly, 
and  his  face  grew  severe. 

He  gave  the  card  to  Jerry,  who  handed  it  to  Mrs. 
Atchison,  and  that  lady  laughed  merrily. 

"Your  prisoner,  Captain  Webb,  is  George  P.  Billings, 
secretary  of  the  Bronx  Loan  and  Trust  Company  of  New 
York.  What  was  he  doing  when  you  seized  him?"  de 
manded  Ardmore. 

"He  was  chasing  the  gentleman  who's  resting  on  the 
anthracite.  He  chased  him  and  chased  him,  around  a 
tea-house  out  here  somewhere  on  the  place;  and  finally 
this  person  in  the  coal  hole  fell,  and  they  both  rolled 
over  together.  The  gentleman  in  the  coal  hole  declares 
that  he's  Foster,  the  state  treasurer  of  North  Carolina, 
but  his  face  got  so  scratched  on  the  shrubbery  that  he 
doesn't  look  in  the  least  like  Mr.  Foster." 

"I  have  sent  him  witch  hazel  and  court  plaster,  and 
we  can  get  a  doctor  for  his  wounds,  if  necessary,"  said 
Mrs.  Atchison. 

A  sergeant  rushed  up  in  hot  haste  with  a  demand 


366  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARB 

from  Colonel  Daubenspeck,  of  the  North  Carolina  First, 
to  know  when  Governor  Dangerfield  could  be  seen. 

"The  South  Carolina  pickets  have  been  withdrawn, 
and  our  officers  want  orders  from  the  governor  in  per 
son,"  said  the  messenger. 

"Then  they  shall  have  orders !"  roared  Ardmore.  "If 
our  men  dare  abandon  their  outposts — " 

He  turned  and  rode  furiously  toward  the  border,  and 
in  his  rage  he  had  traversed  a  thousand  yards  before  he 
saw  that  Jerry  was  close  behind  him.  As  they  passed 
the  red  bungalow  the  crack  of  scattering  rifle-shots 
reached  them. 

"Go  back !  Go  back !  The  war's  begun  I"  cried 
Ardmore;  but,  though  he  quickened  the  pace  of  his 
horse,  Jerry  clung  to  his  side. 

"If  there's  war,  and  I  hope  there  is,  I  shall  not  shrink 
from  the  firing  line,  Mr.  Ardmore." 

As  they  dashed  into  their  own  lines  they  came  upon 
the  regimental  officers,  seated  in  comfortable  chairs  from 
the  red  bungalow,  calmly  engaged  in  a  game  of  cards. 

"'Great  God,  men  I"  blurted  Ardmore,  "why  do  you  sit 
here  when  the  state's  honor  is  threatened?  Where  was 
that  firing?" 

"You  seem  rather  placid,  gentlemen,  to  say  the  least," 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  RACCOON   367 

added  Jerry,  coldly  bowing  to  the  officers,  who  had 
risen  at  her  approach.  "Unless  I  am  greatly  mistaken, 
that  is  the  flag  of  South  Carolina  I  see  flaunted  in 
yonder  field/5  And  she  pointed  with  a  gauntleted  hand 
to  a  palmetto  flag  beyond  the  creek. 

"It  is,  Miss  Dangerfield,"  replied  the  colonel  po 
litely,  "and  you  can  see  their  pickets  occasionally,  but 
they  have  been  drawn  back  from  the  creek,  and  I  appre 
hend  no  immediate  advance/' 

"No  advance !  Who  are  we  to  wait  for  them  to  offer 
battle?  Who  are  we  to  play  bridge  and  wait  upon  the 
pleasure  of  a  cowardly  enemy?"  and  Jerry  gazed  upon 
the  furious  Ardmore  with  admiration,  as  he  roared  at 
the  officers,  who  stood  holding  their  caps  deferentially 
before  the  daughter  of  their  commander-in-chief.  Ard 
more,  it  was  clear,  they  did  not  take  very  seriously,  a 
fact  which  she  inwardly  resented. 

"I  don't  think  it  would  be  quite  fair,"  said  the  colonel 
mildly,  "to  force  issues  to-day/' 

"Not  force  issues!'1  yelled  Ardmore.  "With  your 
brave  sons  of  our  Old  North  State,  not  force  battle !  In 
the  name  of  the  constitution,  T  ask  you,  why  not  ?" 

"For  the  reason,"  replied  the  colonel,  "that  the  South 
Carolina  troops  ate  heavily  of  green  apples  last  night  in 


368  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

an  orchard  over  there  by  their  camp,  and  they  have 
barely  enough  men  to  maintain  their  pickets  this  morn 
ing.  These,  you  can  see,  they  have  withdrawn  a  consid 
erable  distance  from  the  creek.'' 

"Then  tell  me  why  they  have  been  firing  upon  our 
lines?  Why  have  they  been  permitted  to  shoot  at  our 
helpless  and  unresisting  men  if  they  are  not  ready  for 
war?" 

"They  were  not  shooting  at  our  men,  Mr.  Ardmore. 
Their  pickets  are  very  tired  from  loss  of  sleep,  and  they 
were  trying  to  keep  awake  by  shooting  at  a  buzzard  that 
hung  over  a  field  yonder,  where  there  is,  our  scouts  in 
form  us,  a  dead  calf  lying  in  one  of  your  pastures." 

"They  shall  have  better  meat !  Buzzards  shall  eat  the 
whole  state  of  South  Carolina  before  night!  Colonel,  I 
order  you  to  prepare  at  once  to  move  your  troops  across 
that  creek." 

The  colonel  hesitated.  • 

"I  regret  to  say,  sir,  that  we  have  no  pontoons !" 

"Pontoons !  Pontoons !  What,  by  the  shade  of  Na 
poleon,  do  you  want  with  pontoons  when  you  have  legs  ? 
Again,  sir,  I  order  you  to  advance  your  men !" 

It  was  at  this  crisis  that  Jerry  lifted  her  chin  a  trifle 
and  calmly  addressed  the  reluctant  colonel. 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  RACCOON"   369 

"Colonel  Daubenspeck,  in  my  father's  name,  I  order 
you  to  throw  your  troops  across  the  Raccoon !" 

A  moment  later  the  clear  notes  of  the  bugle  rose  above 
the  splash  and  bubble  of  the  creek.  There  was  no  op 
portunity  for  a  grand  onward  sweep;  it  must  be  a 
scramble  for  the  southern  shore  over  the  rocks  and  fallen 
timber  in  that  mad  torrent. 

And  the  Raccoon  is  a  stream  from  all  time  dedicated 
to  noble  uses  and  destined  to  hold  mighty  kingdoms  in 
leash.  One  might  well  hesitate  before  crossing  this 
wayward  Rubicon.  The  Mississippi  is  merely  an  excuse 
for  appropriations,  the  Potomac  the  sporting  ground  of 
congressmen  and  shad.  No  other  known  stream  is  so 
happily  calculated  as  the  foamy  Raccoon  to  delight  at 
once  the  gods  of  battle  and  the  gentle  sons  of  song.  It 
marks  one  of  those  impatient  flings  of  nature  in  which, 
bored  with  creating  orderly,  broadly-flowing  streams,  or 
varying  the  landscape  with  quiet  woodlands  or  meadows, 
she  abandons  herself  for  a  moment  to  madness  and, 
shaking  water  and  rock  together  as  in  a  dice-box, 
splashes  them  out  with  joyous  laughter. 

Jerry  Dangerfield,  seated  upon  her  horse  on  a  slighx 
rise  under  a  clump  of  trees  a  little  way  back  from  the 
stream,  coolly  munched  a  cracker  and  sipped  coffee  from 


370  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

a  tincup.  Ardmore,  again  calm,  now  that  Daubenspeck 
had  been  spurred  to  action,  smoked  his  pipe  and  watched 
the  army  prepare  to  advance. 

Beyond  the  creek,  and  somewhat  removed  from  it  on 
the  South  Carolina  side,  a  rifle  cracked,  and  far  against 
the  blue  arch  a  huge,  black,  languorous  object,  rising 
with  a  last  supreme  effort,  as  though  to  claim  refuge  of 
heaven,  fell  clawing  at  space  with  sprawling  wings,  then 
collapsed  and  pitched  earthward  until  the  trees  on  the 
farther  shore  hid  it  from  sight.  A  feeble  cheer  rose  in 
the  distance. 

"They  sound  pretty  tame  over  there,'"'  remarked  Ard 
more  critically.  "There's  no  ginger  in  that  cheer." 

"The  ginger/'  suggested  Colonel  Daubenspeck  iron 
ically,  "is  probably  all  in  their  stomachs." 

One  gun  from  the  battery  was  brought  down  and 
placed  on  a  slight  eminence  to  support  the  advance,  for 
which  all  was  now  in  readiness.  The  bugle  sang  again, 
and  the  men  of  one  company  sprang  forward  and  began 
leaping  from  rock  to  rock,  silently,  steadily  moving 
upon  the  farther  shore.  Here  and  there  some  brown 
khaki-clad  figure  slipped  and  splashed  into  the  stream 
with  a  wild  confusion  of  brown  leggings;  but  on  they 
went  intrepidly.  The  captain,  leading  his  men  through 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  RACCOON   371 

the  torrent,  was  first  to  gain  the  southern  shore.  He 
waved  his  sword,  and  with  a  shout  his  men  clambered 
up  the  bank  and  formed  in  neat  alignment.  This  was 
hardly  accomplished  before  a  uniformed  figure  dashed 
from  a  neighboring  blackberry  thicket  and  waved  a  white 
handkerchief.  He  bore  something  in  his  hand,  which  to 
Ardmore's  straining  vision  seemed  to  be  a  small  wicker 
basket. 

"It's  a  flag  of  truce!"  exclaimed  Colonel  Dauben- 
speck,  and  a  sigh  that  expressed  incontestable  relief 
broke  from  that  officer. 

"The  cowards!"  cried  Ardmore.  "Does  that  mean 
they  won't  fight?" 

"It  means  that  hostilities  must  cease  until  we  have 
permitted  the  bearer  of  the  flag  to  carry  his  message 
into  our  lines." 

The  man  with  the  basket  was  already  crossing  the 
creek  in  charge  of  a  corporal. 

"I  have  read  somewhere  about  being  careful  of  the 
Greeks  bearing  gifts,"  said  Jerry.  "There  may  be 
something  annoying  in  that  basket." 

The  bearer  of  the  basket  gained  the  North  Carolina 
shore  and  strode  rapidly  toward  Miss  Dangerfield.  Ard 
more  and  Colonel  Daubenspeck.  He  handed  the  trifle 


372  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

of  a  basket  to  the  colonel,  who  gazed  upon  its  contents 
for  a  moment  with  unspeakable  rage.  The  color  mounted 
in  his  neck  almost  to  the  point  of  apoplexy,  and  his 
voice  bellowed  forth  an  oath  so  bleak,  so  fraught  with 
peril  to  the  human  race,  that  Jerry  shuddered  and 
turned  away  her  head  as  from  a  blast  of  flame.  The 
colonel  cast  the  wicker  basket  from  him  with  a  force 
that  nearly  tore  him  from  his  saddle.  It  struck  against 
a  tree,  spilling  upon  the  earth  six  small,  hard,  bright 
green  apples. 

"My  letter,"  said  the  emissary  soberly,  "is  for  Mr. 
Thomas  Ardmore,  and,  unless  I  am  mistaken,  you  are 
that  gentleman." 

Ardrnore  seized  a  long  envelope  which  the  man  ei- 
tended,  tore  it  open,  and  read : 

Thomas  Ardmore,  Esq., 

Acting  Governor  of  North  Carolina, 

In  the  Field: 

SIR — As  I  understand  the  present  unhappy  differences  be 
tween  the  states  of  North  and  South  Carolina,  they  are  due 
to  a  reluctance  on  the  part  of  the  governor  of  North  Caro 
lina  to  take  steps  toward  bringing  to  proper  punishment  in 
North  Carolina  an  outlaw  named  Appleweight.  I  have  the 
honor  to  inform  you  that  that  person  is  now  in  jail  at  Kil- 
dare,  Dilwell  County,  North  Carolina,  properly  guarded  by 
men  who  will  not  flinch.  If  necessary  I  will  support  them 
with  every  South  Carolinian  able  to  bear  arms.  This  being 
the  case,  a  casus  belli  no  longer  exists,  and  to  prevent  the 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  RACCOON   373 

effusion  of  blood  I  beg  you  to  cease  your  hostile  demonstra 
tions  on  our  frontier. 

Our  men  seized  a  few  prisoners  during  the  night,  and  I 
am  willing  to  meet  you  to  arrange  an  exchange  on  the  terms 
proper  in  such  cases. 

I  am,  sir,  your  obedient  servant, 

HENRY  MAINE  GRISWOLD, 
For  the  Governor  of  South  Carolina. 

"The  nerve  of  it!  The  sublime  cheek  of  it!"  ex 
claimed  Ardmore,  though  the  sight  of  Griswold's  well- 
known  handwriting  had  shaken  him  for  the  moment. 

"As  a  bluffer  your  little  friend  is  quite  a  wonder/' 
was  Jerry's  only  comment  when  she  had  read  the  letter. 

Ardmore  promptly  wrote  on  the  back  of  Griswold's 
letter  this  reply : 

Henry  Maine  Griswold,  Esq., 

Assistant  Professor  of  Admiralty, 

Camp  Buzzard,  S.  C.: 

SIR — Appleweight  is  under  strong  guard  in  the  jail  at 
Turner  Court  House,  Mingo  County,  South  Carolina.  I 
shall  take  pleasure  in  meeting  you  at  Ardsley  at  five  o'clock 
this  afternoon  for  the  proposed  exchange  of  prisoners.  To 
satisfy  your  curiosity  the  man  Appleweight  will  be  pro 
duced  there  for  your  observation  and  identification. 

I  have  the  honor,  sir,  to  remain,  with  high  regard  and 
admiration,  your  obliged  and  obedient  servant, 

THOMAS  AEDMORE, 
Acting  Governor  of  North  Carolina. 

"Putting  'professor'  on  that  will  make  him  crazy," 
remarked  Ardmore  to  Jerry. 


374  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

The  messenger  departed,  but  recrossed  the  Raccoon 
shortly  with  a  formal  note  agreeing  to  an  armistice  un 
til  after  the  meeting  proposed  at  Ardsley. 

"Colonel  Daubenspeck,  you  may  withdraw  your  men 
and  go  into  camp  until  further  orders/'  said  Jerry,  and 
the  notes  of  the  bugle  singing  the  recall  rose  sweetly 
upon  the  air. 

"By  George/'  said  Ardmore,  as  he  and  Jerry  rode 
away,  "we'll  throw  it  into  old  Grissy  in  a  way  that  will 
jar  the  professor.  But  when  it  comes  to  the  exchange 
of  prisoners,  I  must  tell  the  boys  to  bring  up  that  chap 
I  locked  in  the  corn-crib.  I  had  clean  forgotten  him." 

"I  don't  think  you  mentioned  him,  Mr.  Ardmore,  but 
I  suppose  he's  one  of  the.Appleweight  ruffians." 

'"Undoubtedly,"  replied  Ardmore,  whose  spirits  had 
never  been  higher,  "though  the  fellow  was  not  without 
his  pleasant  humor.  He  insisted  with  great  vigor  that 
he  is  the  governor  of  South  Carolina." 

"I  wonder' — and  Jerry  spoke  wistfully — "I  wonder 
where  papa  is !" 

"Well,  he's  not  in  the  corn-crib ;  be  sure  of  that." 

"Papa  looks  every  inch  the  statesman,"  replied  Jerry 
proudly,  "and  in  his  frock-coat  no  one  could  ever  mis 
take  him  for  other  than  the  patriot  he  is." 


CHAPTER  XIX 

IN   THE   RED   BUNGALOW 

"What  do  you  think,"  cried  Mrs.  Atchison,  glowing 
before  Jerry  and  Ardmore  on  their  return;  "we  have  a 
new  guest  I" 

"In  the  coal  cellar  ?"  inquired  her  brother. 

"No,  in  the  blue  room  adjoining  Miss  Dangerfield's ! 
And  what  do  you  think!  It  is  none  other  than  the 
daughter  of  the  governor  of  South  Carolina/' 

"Oh,  Nellie!"  gasped  Ardmore. 

"Why,  what's  the  matter?"  demanded  Mrs.  Atchison. 
"I  had  gone  in  to  Turner's  to  look  at  that  memorial 
church  we're  building  there,  and  I  learned  from  the 
rector  that  Miss  Osborne,  with  only  a  maid,  was  stop 
ping  at  that  wretched  hole  called  the  Majestic  Hotel.  I 
had  met  Miss  Osborne  in  Washington  last  winter,  and 
you  may  forget,  Tommy,  that  on  our  mother's  side  I  am 
a  Daughter  of  the  Seminole  War,  a  society  of  which 
Miss  Osborne  is  the  president-general.  I  hope  Miss  Os- 
borne's  presence  here  will  not  be  offensive  to  you,  Miss 

375 


376  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

Dangerfield.  She  seemed  reluctant  to  come,  but  I  simply 
would  not  take  no,  and  I  am  to  send  for  her  at  four 
o'clock." 

"Miss  Osborne's  presence  is  not  only  agreeable  to  me, 
Mrs.  Atchison,"  responded  .Terry,  "but  I  shall  join  you 
in  welcoming  her.  I  have  heard  that  the  ancestor 
through  whom  Barbara  Osborne  derives  membership  in 
the  Daughters  of  the  Seminole  War  was  afterward  con 
victed  of  robbing  an  orphan  of  whose  estate  he  was  the 
trusted  executor,  and  such  being  the  case  I  feel  that  the 
commonest  Christian  charity  demands  that  I  should 
treat  her  with  the  most  kindly  consideration.  I  shall 
gather  some  roses,  with  your  permission,  and  have  them 
waiting  in  her  room  when  she  arrives,  with  my  card  and 
compliments," 

Ardmore  had  rarely  been  so  busy  as  during  the  after 
noon.  Several  more  newspaper  correspondents  were 
found  prowling  about  the  estate,  and  they  were  added 
to  the  howling  mob  in  the  Ardsley  cellars.  Collins 
searched  them  and  read  their  instructions  with  interest. 
They  were  all  commissioned  to  find  the  lost  governors  of 
North  and  South  Carolina;  and  a  number  were  in 
structed  to  investigate  a  rumor  that  North  Carolina  was 
about  to  default  her  bonds  through  malfeasance  of  the 


IN   THE    RED    BUNGALOW  377 

state  treasurer.  It  was  clear  from  the  fact  that  practi 
cally  every  newspaper  in  New  York  had  sent  its  best 
man  to  the  field  that  the  world  waited  anxiously  for 
news  from  the  border. 

"It  has  all  happened  very  handily  for  us,"  said  Col 
lins;  "we've  got  the  highest-priced  newspaper  talent  in 
the  world  right  under  our  hands,  and  before  we  turn 
them  loose  we'll  dictate  exactly  what  history  is  to  know 
of  these  dark  proceedings.  Those  fellows  couldn't  get 
anything  out  of  either  Kildare  or  Turner's  for  some 
time,  as  Paul's  men  have  cut  the  wires  and  Cooke  has 
operators  at  the  railway  stations  to  see  that  nothing  is 
sent  out." 

"When  we've  settled  with  Griswold  and  proved  to 
him  that  he's  lost  out  and  that  the  real  Mr.  Appleweight 
is  in  his  jail,  not  ours,  we'll  have  to  find  Governor  Dan- 
gerfield  and  be  mighty  quick  about  it,"  replied  Ardmore. 
"Paul  says  there's  a  battery  of  South  Carolina  artillery 
guarding  the  Dilwell  County  jail,  and  that  they've 
fooled  the  people  into  thinking  they're  North  Carolina 
troops,  and  nobody  can  get  within  four  blocks  of  the 
jail.  They  must  have  somebody  in  jail  at  Kildare.  I 
don't  like  the  looks  of  it.  I  hope  those  men  we  left 
guarding  old  Appleweight  in  the  Mingo  jail  know  their 


378  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

business.  It  would  be  nasty  to  lose  that  old  chap  after 
all  the  trouble  he's  given  us." 

"They'll  keep  him  or  eat  him,  if  I  know  old  Cookie." 

Jerry — a  pleasing  figure  to  contemplate  in  white 
lawn  and  blue  ribbons — suggested  that  the  meeting  take 
place  in  the  library,  as  more  like  an  imperial  council 
chamber;  but  Ardmore  warmly  dissented  from  this.  A 
peace  should  never  be  signed,  he  maintained,  in  so  large 
a  house  as  Ardsley.  At  Appomattox  and  in  many  other 
cases  that  he  recalled,  the  opponents  met  in  humble  farm 
houses.  It  would  be  well,  however,  to  have  the  meeting 
on  the  estate,  for  the  property  would  thus  become  his 
toric,  but  it  would  never  do  to  have  it  take  place  in  the 
Ardsley  library. 

"There  should  be  great  difficulty  in  securing  pens  and 
paper,"  Ardmore  continued,  "and  we  must  decline  to 
accept  the  swords  of  our  fallen  foes." 

They  finally  agreed  on  the  red  bungalow  as  convenient 
and  sufficiently  modest  for  the  purpose.  And  so  it  was 
arranged. 

A  few  minutes  before  five  the  flag  of  North  Carolina 
was  hung  from  the  wide  veranda  of  the  bungalow.  At 
the  door  stood  an  armed  militiaman.  Colonel  Dauben- 
speck  had  been  invited  to  be  present,  and  he  appeared 


IN   THE    RED    BUNGALOW  379 

accompanied  by  several  other  officers  in  full  uniform. 
Word  of  the  meeting  place  had  been  sent  through  the 
lines  to  the  enemy,  and  the  messenger  rode  back  with 
Griswold,  who  was  followed  quickly  by  the  adjutant- 
general  of  South  Carolina  and  half  a  dozen  other 
officers.  The  guard  saluted  as  Griswold  ran  up  the  steps 
of  the  veranda,  and  at  the  door  Ardmore  met  him  and 
greeted  him  formally. 

At  the  end  of  a  long  table  Jerry  Dangerfield  sat  with 
her  arms  folded.  She  wore,  as  befitting  the  occasion,  a 
gray  riding-dress  and  a  gray  felt  hat  perched  a  trifle  to 
one  side. 

She  bowed  coldly  to  Griswold,  whose  hand,  as  he  sur 
veyed  the  room  and  glanced  out  at  the  flag  that  fluttered 
in  the  doorway,  went  to  his  mustache  with  that  gesture 
that  Ardmore  so  greatly  disliked;  but  Griswold  again 
bowed  gravely  to  his  adversaries. 

"Miss  Dangerfield,  and  gentlemen,"  began  Griswold, 
with  an  air  of  addressing  a  supreme  tribunal,  "I  be 
lieve  this  whole  matter  depends  upon  the  arrest  of  one 
Appleweight,  a  well-known  outlaw  of  North  Carolina — " 

"I  beg  your  pardon — " 

It  was  Jerry  who  interrupted  him,  her  little  fists 
clenching,  a  glint  of  fire  in  her  eyes. 


380  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDAHE 

"It  is  for  me  to  ask  your  pardon,  Miss  Dangerfield ! 
Let  us  agree  that  this  person  is  an  unworthy  citizen  of 
any  state,  and  proceed.  It  has  been  your  endeavor  to 
see  this  man  under  arrest  in  South  Carolina,  thus  re 
lieving  North  Carolina  or  her  chief  executive  of  re 
sponsibility  for  him.  We,  on  our  side,  have  used  every 
effort  to  lodge  Appleweight  in  jail  on  your  side  of  the 
state  line.  Am  I  correct?" 

Jerry  nodded  affirmatively. 

"Then,  Miss  Dangerfield,  and  gentlemen,  I  must  tell 
you  that  you  have  lost  your  contention,  for  Appleweight 
spent  last  night  in  jail  at  Kildare,  and  to  secure  his 
safe  retention  there,  we  generously  lent  your  state  a 
few  of  our  militia  to  guard  him.  The  proceeding  was  a 
trifle  irregular,  we  admit — the  least  bit  ultra  vires — but 
the  peculiar  situation  seemed  to  justify  us." 

"There  are  not  two  Bill  Appleweights,"  remarked 
Colonel  Daubenspeck.  "I  assure  you  that  the  real  crimi 
nal  spent  last  night  in  jail  at  Turner  Court  House, 
guarded  by  trustworthy  men,  and  we  are  able  to  pro 
duce  him." 

"The  quickest  way  to  settle  this  point,  Professor  Gris- 
wold,  is  by  bringing  in  your  man,"  remarked  Ardmore 
icily. 


IN   THE    KED   BUNGALOW  381 

"On  the  other  hand" — and  Griswold's  tone  was  con 
fident — "as  there  is  no  reason  for  doubt  that  we  have  the 
real  Appleweight,  and  as  we  are  on  your  territory  and 
in  a  measure  your  guests,  it  is  only  fair  that  you  pro 
duce  the  man  you  believe  to  be  Appleweight,  that  we 
may  have  a  look  at  him  first." 

"Certainly,"  said  Jerry.  "Our  prisoner  does  not  deny 
his  identity.  It  gives  us  pleasure  to  produce  him." 

At  a  nod  from  Colonel  Daubenspeck  the  orderly  at  the 
door  ran  off  to  where  Cooke  and  the  prisoner  waited. 

In  the  interval  there  was  a  general  exchange  of  intro 
ductions  at  the  bungalow.  The  adjutant-general  of 
South  Carolina  was  in  a  merry  mood  and  began  chaffing 
Ardmore  upon  the  deadly  character  of  apples  found  in 
his  orchard  beyond  the  Kaccoon. 

"I  deeply  regret,"  said  Ardmore,  rubbing  his  chin, 
"that  the  adjutant-general  of  North  Carolina  is  suffer 
ing  from  a  severe  attack  of  paralysis  agitans  and  will 
be  unable  to  meet  with  us." 

"I  deplore  the  fact,"  replied  the  adjutant-general  of 
South  Carolina,  "for  one  of  our  scouts  picked  up  a 
darky  in  the  highway  a  while  ago  who  had  on  a  uni 
form  dress-coat  with  the  initials  'K.  G.'  sewed  in  the 
pocket." 


382  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  K1LDARE 

"If  you  will  return  that  garment  to  me,  General/' 
said  Ardmore,  "I  will  see  that  it  reaches  Colonel  Gilling- 
water  by  special  messenger,  where,  upon  his  couch  of 
pain,  he  chafes  over  his  enforced  absence  from  the  field 
of  danger." 

Steps  sounded  on  the  veranda  and  all  rose  as  Cooke 
appeared  in  the  door,  leading  his  handcuffed  prisoner, 
who  stood  erect  and  glared  at  the  company  in  gloomy 
silence. 

"This  man,"  said  Ardmore,  "we  declare  to  be  Bill 
Appleweight,  alias  Poteet.  I  ask  you,  sir," — he  ad 
dressed  the  prisoner — "to  state  whether  you  are  not 
known  by  one  or  both  of  these  names  ?" 

The  man  nodded  his  head  and  grumbled  a  reluctant 
affirmative. 

"Professor  Griswold,"  Ardmore  went  on,  "the  gentle 
man  in  charge  of  the  prisoner  is  Roger  Cooke,  for 
many  years  in  the  secret  service  of  the  United  States. 
He  now  conducts  a  private  agency  and  is  in  my  employ. 
Mr.  Cooke,  I  will  ask  you  whether  you  identify  this 
man  as  Appleweight  ?" 

"There  is  no  doubt  of  it  whatever.  I  have  known  him 
for  years.  I  once  arrested  him  for  moonshining  and 
he  served  a  year  in  the  penitentiary  as  the  result  of 


IN   THE   RED    BUNGALOW  383 

that  arrest.  You  will  pardon  me,  sir,"  Cooke  con 
tinued,  addressing  Griswold  directly,  "but  this  is  un 
doubtedly  the  man  you  had  yourself  captured  at  Mount 
Nebo  Church  two  nights  ago,  but  who  was  taken  from 
you,  as  you  may  not  know,  by  Miss  Geraldine  Danger- 
field.  She  was  lost  in  the  woods  and  came  upon  the  cap 
tive  much  to  her  own  surprise." 

Griswold  lifted  his  brows  in  amazement  and  turned 
toward  Jerry. 

"If  that  is  the  case,  Miss  Dangerfield,  I  salute  you !  I 
am  sorry  to  confess,  however,  that  I  did  not  myself  see 
the  man  who  was  captured  by  my  friends  at  the  church, 
owing,  it  appears,  to  Miss  Dangerfield's  prompt  and  dar 
ing  action,  and  the  regrettable  cowardice  of  my  men.  I 
want  to  say  to  you,  gentlemen,  in  all  frankness,  that  I 
am  greatly  astonished  at  what  you  tell  me.  Our  prisoner 
is  about  the  same  height  as  this  man,  has  the  same  slight 
stoop  in  the  shoulders,  and  the  same  short  beard;  but 
there  the  resemblance  ends." 

Ardmore  was  trying  not  to  show  too  plainly  his  joy 
at  Griswold's  discomfiture.  None  of  the  South  Caro 
lina  officers  had  ever  seen  Appleweight,  as  they  lived 
remote  from  the  scene  of  his  exploits.  Habersham's 
men,  who  had  so  signally  failed  in  the  descent  upon 


384  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

Mount  Nebo  Church,  had  taken  to  the  woods  on  the  ap 
pearance  of  the  state  soldiery  along  the  border,  and 
could  not  be  found  to  identify  the  man  seized  at  the 
house  on  the  creek.  Habersham  had  discreetly  declined 
to  support  Gris wold's  venture  at  the  last  moment;  to 
do  so  would,  he  pleaded,  ruin  his  chances  of  political 
preferment  in  the  future ;  or  worse  things  might,  indeed, 
happen  if  he  countenanced  and  supported  the  armed  in 
vasion  of  North  Carolina  by  South  Carolina  militia. 
The  zealous  young  militiamen  who  had  captured  the 
stranger  in  the  house  on  the  creek  had  pronounced  the 
man  Appleweight,  and  their  statement  had  been  ac 
cepted  and  emphasized  when  the  man  was  taken  before 
Griswold,  to  whom  he  had  stubbornly  refused  to  make 
any  statement  whatever. 

"Now  that  you  can  not  deny  that  we  have  the  real 
Appleweight/'  began  Jerry,  "who  is,  you  must  remem 
ber,  a  prisoner  of  the  state  of  South  Carolina,  and  must 
be  returned  to  the  Mingo  County  jail  at  once,  I  think 
we  may  as  well  look  at  your  prisoner,  Professor  Gris 
wold.  He  may  be  one  of  Mr.  Appleweight's  associates 
in  business;  but  as  we  are  interested  only  in  the  chief 
culprit,  the  identity  of  the  man  you  hold  is  of  very  lit 
tle  interest  to  us." 


IN"  THE    BED    BUNGALOW  385 

"If,"  said  Griswold,  "he  is  not  Appleweight,  the  orig 
inal  blown  in  the  bottle — " 

"Jug,  if  you  please !"  interposed  Ardmore  very  seri 
ously. 

"Then  we  don't  care  about  him  and  I  shall  make  you 
a  present  of  him/' 

"Or,"  remarked  Ardmore,  "I  might  exchange  him 
for  a  ruffian  I  captured  myself  down  on  the  Eaccoon. 
He  seemed  quite  insane,  declaring  himself  to  be  the 
governor  of  South  Carolina  and  I  locked  him  up  in  a 
corn-crib  for  safe  keeping." 

"Any  man,"  said  Jerry,  lifting  her  chin  slightly,  "who 
would  impersonate  the  governor  of  South  Carolina 
would,  beyond  question,  be  utterly  insane  and  an  object 
of  compassion.  Professor  Griswold,  will  you  please  pro 
duce  your  imaginary  Appleweight,  as  at  this  hour  Mrs. 
Atchison  usually  serves  tea.  Let  us  therefore  make 
haste." 

One  of  Griswold's  retinue  ran  off  to  summon  the 
prisoner,  who  was  guarded  by  half  a  dozen  soldiers  near 
at  hand. 

The  company  in  the  bungalow  were  all  laughing  heart 
ily  at  some  sally  by  the  adjutant-general  of  South  Caro 
lina,  who  insisted  upon  giving  a  light  note  to  the 


386  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

proceedings,  when  hurried  footsteps  sounded  on  the 
veranda  and  a  sergeant  appeared  in  the  doorway  and 
saluted. 

The  adjutant-general,  annoyed  at  being  interrupted 
in  the  telling  of  a  new  story,  frowned  and  bade  the  ser 
geant  produce  his  prisoner.  At  once  a  man  was  thrust 
into  the  room,  a  tall  man,  with  a  short,  dark  beard  and 
slightly  stooping  shoulders.  The  strong  light  at  his  back 
made  it  difficult  for  the  people  grouped  about  the  table 
to  see  his  face  clearly,  but  the  air  somehow  seemed 
charged  with  electricity,  and  all  bent  forward,  strain 
ing  for  a  sight  of  the  captive.  As  he  stood  framed  in  the 
doorway  his  face  was  slowly  disclosed  to  them,  and  there 
appeared  to  be  a  humorous  twinkle  in  his  eyes.  Before 
any  one  spoke,  he  broke  out  in  a  hearty  laugh.  Then  a 
cry  rose  piercingly  in  the  quiet  room — a  cry  of  amaze 
ment  from  the  lips  of  Jerry  Dangerfield,  who  had  taken 
a  step  forward, 

"Oh,  papa  I"  she  cried. 

"The  Governor!"  roared  Colonel  Daubenspeck,  leap 
ing  across  the  table. 

"It's  Governor  Dangerfield!"  shouted  half  a  dozen 
men  in  chorus. 

At  this  moment  Mrs.  Atchison  and  Miss  Barbara  Os- 


IN   THE    BED    BUNGALOW  387 

borne  stole  softly  in  and  ranged  themselves  at  the  back 
of  the  room. 

The  governor  of  North  Carolina  alone  seemed  to  de 
rive  any  pleasure  from  the  confusion  and  astonishment 
caused  by  his  appearance.  He  crossed  to  the  table  and 
took  his  daughter's  hand. 

"Jerry,  what  part  do  you  play  in  these  amateur  the 
atricals?" 

Jerry  rose,  thrusting  her  handkerchief  into  her  sleeve, 
and  her  lips  trembled  slightly,  though  whether  with 
mirth  or  some  soberer  emotion  it  would  be  difficult  to 
say.  The  room  at  once  gave  her  attention,  seeing  that 
she  was  about  to  speak. 

"Papa,  before  these  people  I  am  not  ashamed  to  con 
fess  that  during  your  absence  from  the  seat  of  govern 
ment  I  took  it  upon  myself  to  fill  your  office  to  the  best 
of  my  ability,  finding  that  many  important  matters 
were  pressing  and  that  you  had  gone  into  exile  without 
leaving  your  address  behind.  I  made  Mr.  Ardmore,  the 
gentleman  on  my  left  in  the  pearl-gray  suit  and  laven 
der  tie,  first  private  secretary,  and  then,  when  occasion 
required,  acting  governor,  though  in  reality  he  did 
nothing  without  my  entire  approval.  I  am  happy  to  say 
that  nothing  has  been  neglected  and  your  reputation  as 


388  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

a  great  statesman  and  friend  of  the  people  has  not  suf 
fered  at  our  hands.  We  arrested  Mr.  Appleweight,  who 
is  standing  there  by  the  fireplace,  and  landed  him  in 
the  Mingo  County  jail  as  a  joke  on  Governor  Osborne, 
and  to  appease  the  demands  of  the  press  and  the  Wom 
an's  Civic  League  of  Raleigh.  The  copies  of  our  cor 
respondence  on  this  and  other  matters  will  tell  you  the 
story  more  completely.  And  as  for  Governor  Osborne, 
I  have  taught  him  a  lesson  in  the  etiquette  that  should 
obtain  between  governors  that  he  is  not  likely  to  forget. 
You  will  find  that  we  have  not  hesitated  to  grant  par 
dons,  and  we  have  filled,  in  one  instance,  the  office  of 
justice  of  the  peace,  made  vacant  by  resignation.  The 
key  to  your  desk,  papa,  is  behind  the  clock  on  the  mantel 
in  your  private  room." 

"Ladies  and  gentlemen,"  began  the  governor  of  North 
Carolina,  laying  a  hand  upon  the  table,  and  with  the 
other  seizing  the  lapel  of  his  rough,  brown  coat — a  pose 
made  familiar  by  all  his  photographs — "the  jails  of 
North  Carolina  are  more  uncomfortable  than  I  had  be 
lieved  them  to  be,  and  I  have  taken  a  slight  cold  which 
compels  me  to  be  briefer  than  this  interesting  occasion 
demands.  You  have  witnessed  here  an  exhibition  of 
filial  devotion  that  has,  I  am  sure,  touched  us  all.  It  is 


IN   THE    BED    BUNGALOW  389 

well  worth  while  for  me  to  have  suffered  arrest  and  im 
prisonment  to  realize  the  depth  of  my  daughter's  love, 
and  the  jealousy  with  which  she  has  safeguarded  my 
private  and  public  honor/' 

He  felt  for  a  handkerchief  and  touched  it  gently  to 
his  eyes;  but  Collins  declared  afterward  that  Governor 
Dangerfield  was  exactly  like  his  daughter  and  that  one 
never  could  be  sure  that  his  mirth  was  genuine. 

"I  was  aware  only  yesterday,  when  I  saw  a  newspaper 
for  the  first  time  in  a  week,  that  political  capital  was 
being  made  of  my  absence  from  Raleigh;  and  that  my 
dear  friend,  the  governor  of  South  Carolina,  also,  was 
being  called  to  account  for  flinching  in  the  face  of  im 
perative  duty." 

"Your  friend,  Governor?"  cried  Ardmore,  unable  to 
restrain  himself. 

"Certainly,  Mr.  Ardmore,"  continued  Governor  Dan 
gerfield.  "That  angry  parting  of  ours  at  New  Orleans 
was  all  for  effect  to  get  space  in  the  newspapers.  We  had 
confided  to  each  other  that  the  cares  of  state  had  worn 
us  to  an  intolerable  point  and  that  we  must  have  rest. 
Brother  Appleweight  had,  I  confess,  given  us  both  a 
great  deal  of  annoyance,  and  to  be  frank,  neither  Os- 
borne  nor  I  wished  to  take  the  initiative  in  his  case.  So 


390  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

we  resolved  to  disappear,  and  go  to  some  quiet  place  for 
rest.  We  outfitted  with  old  clothes  and  came  to  the 
border.  Governor  Osborne  has  a  farm  over  there  some 
where  in  Mingo  County  and  we  made  it  our  headquar 
ters  ;  but  in  roaming  about  we  came  upon  that  charming 
shanty  of  yours,  Mr.  Ardmore,  down  on  the  Raccoon. 
The  house  was  deserted,  and  finding  the  marks  of  the 
official  survey  running  clearly  through  the  timber,  we 
were  amused  to  find  that  the  house  was  partly  in 
North,  partly  in  South  Carolina.  The  thing  touched 
our  fancy.  A  negro  cooked  for  us — what  has  become 
of  him  I  do  not  know.  We  cut  ourselves  off  from 
the  mail  and  telegraph  and  received  no  newspapers  un 
til  a  packet  came  yesterday,  and  it  was  only  a  few 
minutes  after  I  saw  from  the  head-lines  of  the  Vidette 
what  a  row  was  going  on  that  I  realized  that  strange 
things  may  happen  when  the  king  goes  a-hunting." 

As  he  paused,  Miss  Osborne  stepped  forward,  the  men 
making  way  for  her. 

"If  this  be  true,  Governor  Dangerfield,  may  I  ask 
you,  sir,  what  has  become  of  my  father?*' 

Governor  Dangerfield  smiled. 

"I  regret,  Miss  Barbara,  that  I  can  not  answer  that 
question ;  I  must  refer  it  to  my  daughter/' 


IN  THE    EED    BUNGALOW  391 

"Miss  Osborne,"  responded  Jerry,  "while  I  should  be 
glad  to  assist  you  in  recovering  your  father  as  a  slight 
return  for  your  having  placed  mine  in  the  Dilwell 
County  jail  and  kept  him  there  all  night,  I  regret  that 
I  am  unable  to  be  of  the  slightest  help  to  you." 

The  perspiration  was  beading  Ardmore's  brow,  but 
he  smiled  as  though  in  joy  at  Jerry's  readiness. 

"We  have  taken  a  number  of  prisoners,"  said  Ard- 
more,  meeting  the  governor's  glance,  "and  while  I  do 
not  think  Governor  Osborne  can  possibly  be  of  the  num 
ber,  yet  I  shall  be  glad  to  produce  them  all.  There's 
a  person  in  the  corn-crib  a  little  way  across  country 
whom  I  captured  myself.  I  believe  he's  now  tied  to  a 
mulberry  tree  a  little  way  down  the  road,  as  he  pre 
tended  to  be  the  governor  of  South  Carolina  and  I 
feared  that  he  might  do  himself  some  harm/' 

Before  he  ceased  speaking  big  Paul  strode  in,  an  angry 
and  crestfallen  man  following  at  his  heels. 

"Oh,  father!" 

It  was  Barbara  Osborne's  voice ;  but  whatever  of  anger 
or  joy  there  may  have  been  in  her  words  and  tone  was 
lost  in  the  shout  of  laughter  that  broke  from  Governor 
Dangerfield.  The  governor  of  South  Carolina  was  in  no 
such  high  humor.  He  sputtered,  swore,  stamped  his  foot 


392  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDAEE 

and  struck  the  table  with  his  clenched  hand  as  he  de 
manded  to  know  the  meaning  of  the  outrageous  indignity 
to  which  he  had  been  subjected. 

The  more  his  friend  stormed  the  more  Governor  Dan- 
gerfield  roared  with  laughter,  but  when  he  could 
control  himself  he  laid  an  arresting  arm  on  Governor 
Osborne's  shoulder,  and  spoke  to  Barbara. 

"Barbara,  may  I  ask  whether  you,  like  my  own  Jerry, 
have  been  protecting  your  father's  fair  name  during  his 
absence ;  and  does  that  account  for  my  night  spent  in  the 
jail  at  Kildare?  If  so—" 

Governor  Dangerfield's  laughter  got  the  better  of 
him,  but  Barbara,  with  dignity,  turned  to  her  father. 

"It  is  quite  true,  that  finding  your  absence  occasion 
ing  serious  remark,  while  your  attorney-general  took  ad 
vantage  of  your  absence  to  annoy  me  in  a  most  cowardly 
fashion,  with  the  kind  help  of  Professor  Griswold,  I  did 
all  in  my  power  to  thwart  your  enemies,  and  to  show 
the  people  of  South  Carolina  that  you  were  not  a  man 
to  evade  the  responsibilities  of  your  office.  As  to  the  de 
tails  of  these  matters  I  prefer,  father,  to  speak  to  you  in 
private." 

"Professor  Griswold?"  repeated  Governor  Osborne 
haughtily.  "I  believe  I  have  not  the  honor  of  the  gen- 


IN   THE    RED    BUNGALOW  393 

tleman's  acquaintance;"'  whereupon,  to  ease  the  situa 
tion,  Ardmore  presented  his  old  friend. 

"Governor  Osborne,  allow  me  to  present  Professor 
Henry  Maine  Griswold,  associate  professor  of  admiralty 
in  the  University  of  Virginia,,  and  the  author  of — " 

"Griswold?"  The  anger  slowly  left  Governor  Os- 
borne's  face.  "Do  I  understand  that  you  belong  to  the 
Virginia  tide-water  family  of  that  name?  Then,  sir, 
without  hesitation  I  offer  you  my  hand." 

"Osborne,"  cried  Governor  Dangerfield,  "we  have 
every  reason  to  be  proud  of  our  daughters.  They  have 
done  their  best  for  us;  and  they  seem  to  have  acted 
wisely  in  accepting  aid  from  these  gentlemen ;  and  now, 
what  is  to  be  done  with  Bill  Appleweight," 

"We  have  with  us  that  requisition  you  left  on  your 
desk,"  exclaimed  Barbara,  turning  to  her  father. 

"I'm  afraid  that  won't  help,"  laughed  Governor  Os 
borne,  "that  requisition,  Barbara,  is  purely  Pickwickian 
in  character." 

"The  disposition  of  Appleweight,"  said  Cooke,  "is  a 
matter  of  delicacy  for  both  of  you  gentlemen,  and  you 
will  pardon  me  for  thrusting  myself  forward,  but  that 
this  affair  may  end  happily  for  all,  neither  North  nor 
South  Carolina  should  bear  the  burden  of  prosecuting  a 


394  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

man  to  whom — we  may  say  it  as  between  friends  here — 
the  governors  of  both  states  are  under  some  trifling  ob 
ligations." 

The  governor  of  North  Carolina  exchanged  a  glance 
and  a  nod  with  the  governor  of  South  Carolina. 

"Therefore/5  resumed  Cooke,  "we  must  hit  upon  a 
plan  of  action  that  will  eliminate  both  states  from  the 
controversy.  I  will,  with  your  permission,  turn  Apple- 
weight  over  to  the  United  States  revenue  officers  who 
are  even  now  in  this  neighborhood  looking  for  him/' 

"No !"  cried  Jerry.  "We  shall  do  nothing  of  the  kind ! 
I  met  Mr.  Appleweight  under  peculiar  circumstances, 
but  I  must  say  that  I  formed  a  high  opinion  of  his 
chivalry  and  I  beg  that  we  allow  him  to  take  a  little 
trip  somewhere  until  the  Woman's  Civic  League  of 
Raleigh  and  the  carping  Massachusetts  press  have  found 
other  business,  and  he  can  return  in  peace  to  his  home." 

"That,"  said  Governor  Osborne,  "meets  my  approval." 

"And  I,"  Ardmore  added,  "will  give  him  my  private 
caboose  in  which  to  cruise  the  larger  Canadian  cities." 

Two  more  prisoners  were  now  brought  in. 

"Governor  Dangerfield,"  continued  Ardmore,  "here  is 
your  state  treasurer,  who  had  sought  to  injure  you  by 
defaulting  the  state  bonds  due  to-day,  which  is  the  first 


IN  THE    RED    BUNGALOW  395 

of  June.  And  that  frowsy  person  with  Mr.  Foster  is 
Secretary  Billings,  of  the  Bronx  Loan  and  Trust  Com 
pany,  who  has  treated  me  at  times  with  the  greatest  in 
justice  and  condescension.  Whether  Treasurer  Foster 
has  the  money  with  which  to  meet  those  bonds  I  do  not 
know;  but  I  do  know  that  I  have  to-day  paid  them  in 
full  through  the  Buckhaw  National  Bank  of  Raleigh." 

Colonel  Daubenspeck  leaped  to  his  feet  and  swung 
his  cap.  He  proposed  three  cheers  for  Jerry  Danger- 
field;  and  three  more  for  Barbara  Osborne;  and  then  the 
two  governors  were  cheered  three  times  three ;  and  when 
the  bungalow  had  ceased  to  ring,  it  was  seen  that  Ard- 
more  and  Griswold  were  in  each  other's  arms. 

"Surely,  by  this  time,"  said  Mrs.  Atchison,  "you  have 
adjusted  enough  of  these  weighty  matters  for  one  day, 
and  I  beg  that  you  will  all  dine  with  us  at  Ardsley  to 
night  at  eight  o'clock,  where  my  brother  and  I  will  en 
deavor  to  mark  in  appropriate  fashion  the  signing  of 
peace  between  your  neighboring  kingdoms." 

"For  Governor  Osborne  and  myself  I  accept,  madam," 
replied  Governor  Dangerfield,  "providing  the  flowing 
frock-coats,  which  are  the  vesture  and  symbol  of  our 
respective  offices,  are  still  in  the  log  house  on  the  Rac 
coon  where  I  became  a  prisoner." 


CHAPTER  XX 

MUNDI 


Mrs.  Atchison  and  Ardmore  had  given  their  last 
touches  to  the  preparations  for  the  dinner.  Every  win 
dow  of  the  great  house  shone  and  a  myriad  of  lanterns 
illuminated  the  lawns  and  terraces.  The  flags  of  North 
and  South  Carolina  were  everywhere  entwined;  nor 
were  the  stars  and  stripes  neglected.  They  surveyed  the 
long  table  in  the  dining-room,  where  gold  and  silver  and 
crystal  were  bright  upon  the  snowy  napery. 

"The  matter  of  precedence  is  serious,  Tommy,"  urged 
Mrs.  Atchison.  "I  can  not  for  the  life  of  me  remember 
what  two  monarchs  do  about  entering  a  room  at  the 
same  time." 

"Nor  do  I,  Nellie,"  said  Ardmore  ;  "unless  they  sprint 
for  the  door  and  the  one  who  gets  through  first  takes 
the  head  of  the  table.  Still,  that  would  be  undignified, 
particularly  if  the  kings  were  old  and  fat,  and  if  they 
bumped  going  through  the  door  and  took  a  header  it 
would  jar  the  divine  right." 

396 


MUNDI  397 

"Here  in  democratic  America,"  said  Griswold,  join 
ing  them,  "there  can  be  no  such  preposterous  idea  of 
precedence." 

"I  should  think  better  of  that  notion,  Professor  Gris 
wold,"  laughed  Mrs.  Atchison,  "if  I  had  never  seen  the 
goats  carefully  shepherded  to  keep  them  away  from  the 
lambs  at  functions  in  Washington.  Democracy  may  be 
a  political  triumph,  but  it  is  certainly  deficient  socially. 
Personally  I  have  always  wished  to  bring  myself  in 
touch  with  the  poor.  Ardy  is  quite  right  that  our  own 
kind  are  distinctly  uninteresting." 

"You  ought  to  remember,  Nellie,  that  your  idea  of 
going  slumming  in  a  purple  coupe  and  dressed  up  in 
your  best  rags  is  not  well  calculated  to  inspire  confi 
dence  and  affection  among  the  submerged.  But  how  to 
handle  two  governors  has  me  fussed.  You  are  the 
hostess,  and  it's  for  you  to  decide  which  excellency  shall 
take  you  in.  I  see  no  way  out  but  to  match  for  it." 

"That  will  be  unnecessary,"  said  Mrs.  Atchison,  "for 
the  doors  and  the  hall  are  broad  enough  for  a  dozen 
governors  to  march  in  abreast." 

"That  would  never  do,  Nellie !  You  don't  understand 
these  things.  You  can't  hitch  up  a  brace  of  American 
governors  in  a  team  and  drive  them  like  a  pair  of  horses. 


398  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

At  least,  speaking  for  the  Old  North  State,  I  will  say 
that  we  can  never  consent  to  any  such  compromise." 

"And  I,  speaking  for  the  great  Palmetto  Common 
wealth,  not  less  emphatically  reject  the  idea!"  declared 
Griswold. 

"Then,"  said  Mrs.  Atchison,  "there  is  only  one  possi 
ble  solution.  When  the  rest  of  us  have  entered  the  din 
ing-room  and  taken  our  places,  a  bugle  will  sound;  the 
governor  of  North  Carolina  shall  enter  from  the  north 
door;  the  governor  of  South  Carolina  from  the  south 
door,  and  advance  to  seats  facing  each  other  midway 
of  the  table.  Professor  Griswold,  you  are  an  old  friend 
of  the  family,  and  you  shall  yourself  take  me  in  to  din 
ner/' 

The  members  of  Mrs.  Atchison's  house  party,  well 
distributed  among  the  official  guests,  were  still  some 
what  at  a  loss  to  know  what  had  happened,  but  it  seemed 
to  be  in  the  air  that  Tommy  Ardmore  had  at  last  done 
something,  though  just  what  was  not  wholly  clear.  It 
was  sufficiently  obvious,  however,  that  the  little  girl 
with  blue  eyes  who  had  the  drollest  possible  way  of  talk 
ing,  and  whom  one  never  seemed  able  to  take  off  guard, 
had  seized  strong:  hold  upon  the  master  of  Ardsley; 
and  she,  on  her  part,  treated  him  with  the  most  pro- 


EOSM   MUNDI  399 

yoking  condescension.  It  was  agreed  by  all  that  Miss 
Osborne  was  distinguished  and  lovely  and  that  Professor 
Griswold  did  not  seem  out  of  place  at  her  side. 

The  talk  grew  general  after  the  first  restraint  was 
over,  and  Mrs.  Atchison  dropped  just  the  right  word 
here  and  there  to  keep  the  ball  rolling.  Governor  Osborne 
had  generously  forgotten  and  forgiven  his  painful  incar 
ceration  in  the  corn-crib,  and  he  and  Governor  Danger- 
field  vied  with  each  other  in  avowing  their  determina 
tion  to  live  up  to  the  high  standards  that  had  been  set  for 
them  by  their  daughters. 

Both  governors  had  at  almost  the  same  moment  turned 
down  their  glasses.  It  even  seemed  that  they  had  been 
drilled  in  the  part,  so  dexterous  were  they  in  reversing 
them,  so  nimbly  did  they  put  from  them  the  hope  of 
wine.  The  members  of  the  house-party  noted  this  act 
of  the  two  governors  with  well-bred  surprise;  and  Ard- 
more  was  grieved,  feeling  that  in  some  measure  the  il 
lustrious  guests  were  criticizing  his  hospitality.  The 
butler  at  this  moment  spoke  to  him,  and  much  relieved 
he  smiled  and  nodded.  A  moment  later  two  jugs,  two 
little  brown  jugs,  were  carried  in,  and  one  was  placed 
quietly  in  front  of  each  governor  at  precisely  the  same 
moment.  Expectation  was  instantly  a-tiptoe. 


400  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

"Gentlemen,"  said  Ardmore,  addressing  the  govern 
ors,  "these  jugs  have  just  been  left  at  the  house  by  our 
old  friend,  Mr.  Bill  Appleweight,  alias  Poteet,  with  his 
compliments,  for  the  governors  of  the  two  greatest  states 
in  the  Union.  I  note  that  there's  a  bit  of  pink  calico 
around  the  stopper  of  Governor  Dangerfield's  jug,  while 
Governor  Osborne's  is  garnished  with  blue  and  white 
gingham." 

Governor  Osborne  rose. 

"In  politics,"  he  began,  resting  his  hand  gently  on  the 
jug,  "it  would  be  a  fine  thing  if  we  could  all  live  up 
to  our  noblest  ideals,  but  unfortunately  we  must  be  all 
things  to  all  men.  What  I  have  here  is  not  merely  the 
testimonial  of  a  valued  constituent,  but  something  much 
subtler  than  that,  ladies  and  gentlemen — a  delicate  proof 
that  those  of  us  who  would  command  the  good-will  and 
suffrages  of  the  people  must  keep  a  careful  eye  on  the 
weather-vane.  This  jug,  which  you  probably  all  believe 
contains  the  rude  product  of  some  hidden  still,  is  as 
equivocal  as  a  political  platform.  I  will  illustrate  iny 
meaning." 

All  eyes  were  bent  upon  the  governor  of  South  Caro 
lina  as  he  picked  up  the  jug,  twisted  the  cob  stopper  for 
a  moment,  and  then  poured  into  a  tumbler  which  the 


KOSJE    MUNDI  401 

butler  placed  for  him,  a  clear  white  fluid;  then,  turn 
ing  the  stopper  slightly,  he  poured  into  another  glass  a 
thick  milk-like  liquid. 

"When  among  my  constituents  I  almost  invariably 
call  for  a  gourd  for  drinking  purposes  in  preference  to  a 
tumbler;  but  in  this  company  I  shall  abandon  a  custom 
of  the  plain  people  and  yield  to  the  habits  of  the  sons 
of  Mammon.  I  am  here,  I  take  it,  once  more  in  my 
official  capacity  as  governor  of  South  Carolina,  and  as  I 
am  not  one  to  offend  the  best  sentiments  of  my  people,  1 
pledge  you,  my  friends,  not  in  the  untaxed  corn  whisky 
of  Appleweight's  private  still,  but  in  the  excellent  and 
foamy  buttermilk  of  Mrs.  Appleweight's  homely  churn/' 

As  he  concluded,  Governor  Dangerfield  rose  and  per 
formed  exactly  the  same  solemn  rite  with  the  jug  be- 
fone  him,  pouring  whisky  into  one  glass,  buttermilk  into 
the  other,  and  leaning  across  the  table  he  touched  his 
tumbler  of  buttermilk  to  that  extended  by  Governor  Os- 
borne.  When  the  applause  that  greeted  this  exchange  of 
courtesies  had  subsided,  Governor  Dangerfield  was  still 
standing,  and  in  a  quiet  conversational  tone,  and  with  a 
manner  engagingly  frank,  he  said : 

"Before  it  seemed  expedient  to  follow  the  reform 
bandwagon,  I  held  certain  principles  touching  the  drink- 


402  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

ing  habit.  But  the  American  bar  has  destroyed  drinking 
as  a  fine  art,  and  it  has  now  become  a,  vulgar  habit.  In 
the  good  old  times  no  gentleman  ever  jumped  at  his  li 
quor.  He  took  it  with  a  casual  air,  even  with  a  sanctify 
ing  reluctance.  The  idea  of  rushing  into  a  public  place 
and  gulping  your  liquor  is  repugnant  to  the  most  pri 
mary  of  the  instincts  that  govern  gentlemen.  To  precip 
itate  a  gill  of  applejack  into  that  most  delicate  organism, 
the  human  stomach,  without  the  slightest  warning,  is  an 
insult  to  the  human  body, — ay,  more,  it  is  an  outrage 
upon  man's  very  soul.  The  aim  of  liquor,  ladies  and 
gentlemen,  is  to  stay  and  lift  the  spirit,  not  to  degrade 
it.  Drinking  at  proper  intervals  ceased  to  be  respectable 
at  a  fixed  date  in  human  progress — to  be  exact,  at  the 
moment  when  it  was  no  longer  a  mere  incident  of  per 
sonal  or  social  recreation  but  had  become  a  sociological 
and  political  issue,  staggering  drunkenly  under  a  weary 
burden  of  most  painful  statistics/' 

"You  are  eminently  right,  Governor  Dangerfield," 
said  the  governor  of  South  Carolina,  helping  himself 
to  the  salted  almonds;  "but  you  have  used  a  phrase 
which  piques  my  curiosity.  Will  you  kindly  enlighten 
us  as  to  how  you  interpret  proper  intervals  ?"  . 

"With  greatest  pleasure,"  responded  Governor  Dan- 


ROS^E    MUNDI  403 

gerfield.  "I  remember,  as  though  it  were  yesterday,  my 
venerable  grandfather  saying  that  no  gentleman  should 
ever  approach  the  sideboard  oftener  than  once  before 
breakfast,  and  he  was  himself  a  very  early  riser.  I  dis 
count  this,  however,  because  he  always  slept  with  a  jug 
of  Cuban  rum — the  annual  offering  of  a  West  Indian 
friend — easily  within  his  reach  at  the  head  of  his  bed. 
It  was  his  practice  for  years  to  sip  a  little  rum  and 
water  while  he  shaved.  He  was  a  gentleman  if  ever  I 
knew  one  and  as  I  look  upon  him  as  a  standard  author 
ity  in  all  matters  of  deportment  and  morals,  I  may 
safely  cite  him  further  in  answer  to  your  question. 

"During  the  long  open  season  in  our  country  my 
grandfather  constantly  rode  over  the  plantation  in  im 
maculate  white  duck  followed  by  a  darky  on  a  mule 
carrying  a  basket.  On  our  ancestral  estate  there  were 
many  springs  giving  the  purest  and  coldest  of  water, 
and  these  were  providentially  scattered  at  the  most  con 
venient  intervals  for  my  grandfather's  comfort.  And  as 
a  slight  return  to  nature  for  what  she  had  done  for  him 
in  this  particular,  my  grandfather,  in  his  early  youth, 
had  planted  mint  around  all  these  springs.  I  need  hardly 
point  out  the  advantages  of  this  happiest  of  combina 
tions — a  spring  of  clear,  icy  water;  the  pungent  bou- 


404  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

quet  of  lush  mint;  the  ample  basket  borne  by  a  faith 
ful  negro,  and  my  grandfather,  in  his  white  duck  suit 
and  a  Panama,  hat  a  yard  wide,  seated  by  the  mossy 
spring,  selecting  with  the  most  delicate  care  the  worthi 
est  of  the  fragrant  leaves. 

"Now" — and  Governor  Dangerfield  smiled — "I  can 
see  that  you  are  all  busy  guessing  at  the  number  of  stops 
made  by  my  grandfather  in  the  course  of  a  day,  and  I 
hasten  to  satisfy  your  curiosity.  My  grandfather  always 
started  out  at  six  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  the  springs 
were  so  arranged  that  he  had  to  make  six  stops  before 
noon,  and  four  in  the  afternoon;  but  at  five  o'clock, 
when  he  reached  home  all  fagged  out  by  a  hard  da/s 
work  and  sorely  needing  refreshment,  a  pitcher  of  cherry 
bounce  was  waiting  for  him  on  the  west  gallery  of  the 
house.  After  that  he  took  nothing  but  a  night-cap  on 
retiring  for  the  night.  To  my  friend,  the  governor  of 
South  Carolina,  I  need  oft'er  no  apologies  for  my  grand 
father,  once  a  senator  in  Congress,  and  a  man  distin 
guished  for  his  sobriety  and  probity.  He  was  an  upright 
man  and  a  gentleman,  and  died  at  ninety-two,  full  of 
years  and  honors,  and  complaining,  almost  with  his  last 
breath,  of  a  distressing  dusty  feeling  in  the  throat." 

When,  as  time  passed,  it  seemed  that  every  one  had 


BOS2E    MUNDI  405 

told  a  story  or  made  a  speech,  it  was  Ardmore's  inspira 
tion  that  Griswold  should  sing  a  song.  The  associate 
professor  of  admiralty  in  the  University  of  Virginia 
had  already  pledged  the  loyalty  of  his  state  to  her  neigh 
bors  and  twin  sisters,  the  Carolinas,  and  Barbara,  who 
wore  a  great  bunch  of  her  own  white  roses,  had  listened 
to  him  with  a  new  respect  and  interest,  for  he  spoke 
well,  with  the  special  grace  of  speech  that  men  of  his 
state  have,  and  with  little  turns  of  humor  that  kept  the 
table  bubbling  merrily. 

"I  shall  comply  with  your  request,  my  friends,  if  you 
can  bear  with  the  poor  voice  of  one  long  out  of  tune, 
and  if  our  host  still  has  in  the  house  a  certain  ancient 
guitar  I  remember  from  old  times.  But  I  must  impose 
one  condition,  that  I  shall  not  again  in  this  place  be 
called  by  my  academic  title.  I  have  known  wars  and  the 
shock  of  battle  along  the  Raccoon" — here  his  hand  went 
to  his  lips  in  the  gesture  that  had  so  often  distressed 
Ardmore — "and  I  have  known  briefly  the  joy  of  a  mili 
tary  title.  Miss  Osborne  conferred  on  me  in  an  emer 
gency  the  noble  title  of  major,  and  by  it  I  demand  here 
after  to  be  known." 

The  governor  of  South  Carolina  was  promptly  upon 
his  feet. 


406  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

"Henry  Maine  Griswold,"  he  said  in  his  most  official 
manner,  "I  hereby  appoint  you  a  major  on  my  staff  with 
all  the  rights,  privileges  and  embarrassments  thereunto 
belonging,  and  you  shall  to-morrow  attend  me  person 
ally  in  my  inspection  of  our  troops  in  the  field." 

As  the  guitar  was  placed  in  Griswold's  hands,  Ard- 
more  caused  all  the  lights  to  be  turned  out  save  those  on 
the  table.  In  the  soft  candle-glow  Ardmore  bent  his 
face  upon  Jerry,  who  had  been  merrily  chaffing  him  at 
intervals,  but  who  feigned  at  other  times  an  utter  igno 
rance  of  his  presence  on  earth.  As  Griswold's  voice  rose 
in  the  mellow  dusk  it  seemed  to  Ardmore  that  the  song 
spoke  things  he  could  not,  like  his  friend,  put  into  ut 
terance,  and  something  fine  and  sweet  and  hallowed — 
that  sweet  sabbath  of  the  soul  that  comes  with  first  love 
—possessed  him,  and  he  ceased  looking  at  Jerry,  but  bent 
his  head  and  was  lost  in  dreams.  For  the  song  and  the 
voice  were  both  beyond  what  the  company  had  expected. 
It  was  an  old  air  that  Griswold  sang,  and  it  gave  charm 
to  his  words,  which  were  those  of  a  man  who  loves  deeply 
and  who  dares  speak  them  to  the  woman  he  loves.  They 
rose  and  fell  in  happy  cadences,  and  every  word  rang 
clear.  In  the  longer  lines  of  the  song  there  was  a  quick 
ening  of  time  that  carried  the  sense  of  passion,  and 


ROS^B    MUNDI  407 

Griswold  lifted  his  head  when  he  uttered  them  and  let 
them  cry  out  of  him. 

One  of  Barbara's  white  roses  had  fallen  into  her  lap 
and  she  played  with  it  idly ;  but  after  the  first  verse  it 
slipped  from  her  fingers  and  she  folded  her  arms  on  the 
table  and  bent  her  gaze  on  the  quiet  flame  of  the  candle 
before  her.  And  this  was  the  song  that  Griswold  sang : 

Fair  winds  and  golden  suns 

Down  the  year's  dim  aisles  of  gray  depart; 
But  you  are  the  dear  white  rose  of  the  world 

That  I  hide  in  my  heart. 

Last  leaves,  and  the  first  wild  snow, 

And  the  earth  through  an  iron  void  is  whirled; 

But  safe  from  the  tempest  abide  in  my  heart, 
O  dear  white  rose  of  the  world! 

Blithe  air  and  flashing  wing, 

And  awakened  sap  that  thrills  and  flows; 

But  hid  from  the  riot  and  haste  of  the  spring 
Sleeps  one  white  rose. 

O  scattered  leaves  of  days! 

O  low-voiced  glories  that  fade  and  depart! 
But  changeless  and  dear  through  the  changing  year 

Blooms  one  white  rose  in  my  heart. 

The  last  words  hung  tremulously,  tenderly,  on  the  air, 
and  left  a  spell  upon  the  company  that  no  one  seemed 
anxious  to  break ;  then  there  was  long  applause  and  cries 


408  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

of  encore ;  but  Ardmore,  who  knew  that  his  friend  had 
been  greatly  moved,  drew  attention  away  from  him  to 
Collins,  who  had  just  entered  the  room. 

The  correspondent  had  been  called  away  shortly  be 
fore  from  the  table,  and  he  wore  the  serious  air  of  one 
heavy  with  news. 

"I  beg  to  report  that  I  have  just  completed  a  treaty 
with  the  journalists  assembled  in  the  cellar." 

"I  hope,  Mr.  Collins,  that  the  journalists'  convention 
below  stairs  realized  that  the  lobster  we  sent  them  for 
supper  was  not  canned,  and  that  the  mushrooms  were 
creamed  for  their  refreshment  by  Mrs.  Atchison's  spe 
cial  command.  It  is  not  for  us  to  trifle  with  the  dignity 
of  the  press,"  said  Jerry. 

"The  reputations  of  two  governors  and  of  two  states 
are  in  their  hands,"  said  the  governor  of  South  Carolina, 
with  feeling.  "It  would  be  a  distressing  end  of  my  pub 
lic  services  if  the  truth  of  all  these  matters  should  be 
known.  The  fact  that  Governor  Dangerfield  and  I  had 
merely  withdrawn  from  public  life  for  a  little  quiet 
poker  in  the  country  would  sound  like  the  grossest  im 
morality  to  my  exacting  constituency." 

"Both  yourself  and  Governor  Dangerfield  will  be  re 
lieved  to  know  that  they  have  accepted  my  terms  and  all 


KOS^E   MUNDI  409 

is  well,"  responded  Collins.  "They  will  tell  the  waiting 
world  that  you  have  both  been  the  guests  of  Mr.  Ard- 
Hiore,  and  that  the  troops  assembled  on  the  Raccoon  are 
merely  at  their  usual  summer  maneuvers.  As  for  Apple- 
weight,  it  has  seemed  expedient  that  he  should  be  dead, 
and  the  man  who  has  been  called  by  that  name  of  late  is 
only  an  impostor  seeking  a  little  cheap  notoriety.  The 
boys  are  very  sick  of  the  cellar,  and  they  would  do  even 
more  than  this  to  get  away." 

"Mr.  Collins,"  said  Governor  Dangerfield,  rising, 
"your  great  merits  shall  not  go  unrewarded.  I  have 
carelessly  neglected  to  appoint  a  delegate  from  North 
Carolina  to  the  annual  conference  of  the  Supreme  Lodge 
of  the  Society  of  American  Liars  shortly  to  meet  at 
Lake  Placid,  New  York.  As  a  slight  testimonial  of  my 
confidence  and  admiration,  I  hereby  appoint  you  to 
represent  the  Old  North  State  at  that  meeting,  and  your 
expenses  shall  be  paid  from  the  public  purse." 

"The  boys  wish  to  see  your  excellencies  before  they 
leave,"  said  Collins  when  he  had  acknowledged  the  gov 
ernor's  compliment ;  and  as  he  spoke  the  sound  of  great 
cheering  broke  through  the  windows,  and  Mrs.  Atchison 
promptly  rose  and  led  the  way  to  the  broad  terraces 
which  were  now  gay  with  colored  lanterns. 


410  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDAKE 

"Speech !  Speech !"  cried  the  corps  of  correspondents. 
Then  Ardmore  seized  Governor  Osborne's  hand  and  led 
him  forward  to  the  balustrade;  but  before  the  governor 
of  South  Carolina  could  speak  the  group  of  newspaper 
men  began  chanting,  in  the  manner  of  a  college  an- 
tiphonal : 

What  did  he  say  to  you? 
What  did  he  say  to  you? 

"What  did  icUo  say? 
What  did  the  governor  of  North  Carolina 

SAY 
To  the  governor  of  South  Carolina? 

"Gentlemen,"  began  Governor  Osborne,  speaking  with 
great  deliberation,  "I  am  profoundly  touched  by  the  cor 
diality  of  your  greeting.  (Applause.)  Amid  the  per 
plexities  of  my  official  life  I  am  deeply  sensible  always 
of  the  consideration  and  generosity  of  our  free  and  un- 
trammeled  American  press.  (Cheers.)  Without  your 
support  and  approval,  my  best  aims,  my  sincerest  en 
deavors  in  behalf  of  the  people,  must  fall  short  and  fail 
of  their  purpose.  (A  voice:  You're  dead  right  about 
that. )  I  am  proud  of  this  opportunity  to  greet  this  most 
complimentary  delegation  of  men  distinguished  in  the 
noble  profession  of  which  Greeley,  Raymond  and  Dana 
were  the  high  ornaments.  (Cheers.)  I  look  into  your 


EOSJB    MTJNDI  411 

upturned  faces  as  into  the  faces  of  old  friends.  But  I 
dare  not — (A  voice:  Oh,  don't  be  afraid,  Governor!)  — 
I  dare  not  take  too  personally  this  expression  of  your 
good-will.  It  is  not  myself  but  the  great  state  of  South 
Carolina  that  you  honor,  and  on  behalf  of  mine  own 
people,  who  have  always  stood  sturdily  for  the  great 
principles  of  the  constitution;  (Cheers)  who  have  failed 
in  no  hour  of  the  country's  need,  but  have  tilled  their 
fields  in  peace  and  defended  them  in  the  dark  days  of 
war,  I  thank  you,  my  friends,  with  all  my  heart,  again 
and  again."  (Applause  and  cheers.) 

What  did  you  say  to  him? 
What  did  you  say  to  him? 

What  did  ivho  say? 
What  did  the  governor  of  North  Carolina 

SAY 
To  the  governor  of  South  Carolina? 

"On  an  occasion  so  purely  social  as  this,"  began  Gov 
ernor  Dangerfield,  balancing  himself  lightly  upon  the 
balustrade,  "it  would  be  most  indelicate  for  me  to  dis 
cuss  any  of  the  great  issues  of  the  day.  (A  voice :  Oh,  I 
don't  know !)  I  indorse,  with  all  the  strength  of  my  be 
ing,  and  with  all  the  sincerity  of  which  my  heart  is  cap 
able,  the  stirring  tribute  paid  to  your  noble  profession  by 
my  friend,  known  far  and  near,  and  justly  known,  as 


412  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

the  great  reform  governor  of  South  Carolina.  (Cheers.) 
I  am  proud  that  the  American  press  is  incorruptible. 
(Cheers.)  Great  commercial  nation  though  we  be,  the 
American  newspaper — the  American  newspaper,  I  say, 
is  one  thing  that  is  never  for  sale.  (Applause  and 
cheers.)  The  temptation  is  strong  upon  me  to  take  ad 
vantage  of  this  gathering  of  representative  journalists 
to  speak — not  of  the  fathers  of  the  constitution,  not  of 
Jefferson  or  Jackson,  but  of  living  men  and  living  is 
sues  (Cheers  and  cries  of  Let  'er  go!) ;  but  the  hour 
is  late  (A  voice:  Oh,  not  on  Broadway,  William!)  and, 
to  repeat,  it  would  be  the  height  of  impropriety — a  be 
trayal  of  the  bountiful  hospitality  we  have  all  enjoyed 
(A  voice:  Our  lobster  was  all  right.  Another  voice, 
with  ironical  inflection;  This  lobster  is  all  right!),  a 
betrayal,  I  say,  of  hospitality  for  me  to  do  more,  gentle 
men,  than  to  thank  you,  and  to  say  that  in  your  strong 
hands  the  liberties  of  the  people  are  safe  indeed."  (Pro 
longed  cheering.) 

As  the  correspondents  marched  away  to  take  the  spe 
cial  train  provided  for  them  at  Kildare  by  Ardmore, 
they  continued  to  cheer,  and  they  were  still  demanding, 
as  long  as  their  cries  could  be  heard  at  Ardsley : 


ROS.E   MUNDI  413 

What  did  he  say  to  him? 
What  did  he  say  to  him? 

What  did  who  say? 
What  did  the  governor  of  North  Carolina 

SAY 
To  the  governor  of  South  Carolina? 

With  a  sigh  Ardmore  left  them  at  the  great  gates  of 
Ardsley  and  returned  to  the  house  to  find  Jerry;  but 
that  young  woman  was  the  center  of  a  wide  circle 
of  admiring  militia  officers,  and  the  master  of  Ardsley 
was  so  depressed  by  the  spectacle  that  he  sought  a  dim 
corner  of  the  grounds  where  there  was  a  stone  bench  by 
a  fountain,  and  there,  to  his  confusion,  he  beheld  Miss 
Barbara  Osborne  and  Henry  Maine  Griswold;  and  Miss 
Osborne,  it  seemed,  was  in  the  act  of  fastening  a  white 
rose  in  Professor  Griswold's  coat. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

GOOD-BY   TO   JERRY   DANGERFIELD 

The  next  morning  Ardmore  knocked  at  Griswold's 
door  as  early  as  he  dared,  and  went  in  and  talked  to  his 
friend  in  their  old  intimate  fashion.  The  associate  pro 
fessor  of  admiralty  was  shaving  himself  with  care. 

"You  won't  have  any  hard  feelings  about  that  scarlet 
fever  business,  will  you,  Grissy?  It  was  downright  self 
ish  of  me  to  want  to  keep  the  thing  to  myself,  but  I 
thought  it  would  be  fun  to  go  ahead  and  carry  it 
through  and  then  show  you  how  well  I  pulled  it  off." 

"Don't  ever  refer  to  it  again,  if  you  love  me,"  splut 
tered  Griswold  amiably,  as  he  washed  off  the  lather.  "I, 
too,  have  ruled  over  a  kingdom,  and  I  have  seen  history 
in  the  making,  quorum  pars  magna  fui" 

"But  I  say,  Grissy,  there  is  such  a  thing  as  fate  and 
destiny  and  all  that  after  all ;  don't  you  believe  it  ?" 

"Don't  I  believe  it!  I  know  it!"  thundered  Griswold, 
reaching  for  a  towel.  He  lifted  a  white  rose  from  a 
glass  of  water  where  it  had  spent  the  night  and  re- 

414 


GOOD-BY   TO    JERRY   DANGERFIELD   415 

garded  it  tenderly.  "The  right  rose  under  the  right 
star,  and  the  thing's  done;  the  rose,  the  star  and  the 
girl, — the  combination  simply  can't  be  beat,  Ardy." 

Ardmore  seized  and  wrung  his  friend's  hand  for  the 
twentieth  time ;  but  he  was  preoccupied,  and  Griswold, 
fastening  his  collar  at  the  mirror,  hummed  softly  the 

couplet : 

With  the  winking  eye 
For  my  battle-cry. 

"Grissy !"  shouted  Ardmore,  "she  never  did  it !" 

"Oh — bless  my  soul,  what  was  I  saying!  Why,  of 
course  she  wasn't  the  one!  Not  Miss  Dangerfield — 
never !" 

"Well,  you  like  her,  don't  you  ?"  demanded  Ardmore 
petulantly. 

"Of  course  I  like  her,  you  idiot!  She's  wonderful. 
She's—" 

He  frowned  upon  the  scarf  he  had  chosen  with  much 
care,  snapped  it  to  shake  the  wrinkles  out,  humming 
softly,  while  Ardmore  glared  at  him. 

"She's  wise,"  Griswold  resumed,  "with  the  wisdom 
of  laughter — accept  that,  with  my  compliments.  It's 
not  often  I  do  so  well  before  breakfast.  And  now  if 
you're  to  be  congratulated  before  I  go  back  to  the  groves 


416  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

of  Academe  pray  bestir  yourself.  At  this  very  moment  I 
have  an  engagement  to  walk  with  a  lady  before  break 
fast — thanks,  yes,  that's  my  coat.  Good-by !" 

Breakfast  was  a  lingering  affair  at  Ardsley  that  morn 
ing.  The  two  governors  and  the  national  guard  officers 
who  had  spent  the  night  in  the  house  were  not  in  the 
slightest  hurry  to  break  up  the  party,  for  such  a  com 
pany,  they  all  knew,  could  hardly  be  assembled  again. 
The  governors  were  a  trifle  nervous  as  to  the  attitude  of 
the  press,  in  spite  of  Collins'  efforts  to  dictate  what  his 
tory  should  say  of  the  affair  on  the  Raccoon ;  but  before 
they  left  the  table  the  Raleigh  morning  papers  were 
brought  in  and  it  was  clear  that  the  newspaper  men  were 
keeping  their  contract. 

"I  congratulate  you,  Dangerfield,"  said  Governor  Os- 
borne.  "I  only  hope  that  the  Columbia  and  Charleston 
papers  have  done  half  as  well  by  me." 

Both  governors  had  decided  upon  an  inspection  of 
such  portions  of  their  militia  as  were  assembled  on  the 
Raccoon,  and  a  joint  dress  parade  was  appointed  for  six 
o'clock. 

Ardmore,  anxious  to  make  every  one  at  home,  saw  the 
morning  pass  without  a  chance  to  speak  to  Jerry;  and 
when  he  was  free  shortly  before  noon  he  was  chagrined 


GOOD-BY    TO    JERRY   DANGERFIELD   417 

to  find  that  she  had  gone  for  a  ride  over  the  estate  with 
her  father,  Governor  Osborne,  Barbara  and  Griswold. 
He  went  in  pursuit,  and  to  his  delight  found  her  pres 
ently  sitting  alone  on  a  log  by  the  Raccoon,  having  dis 
mounted,  it  appeared,  to  rescue  a  fledgling  robin  whose 
cries  had  led  her  away  from  her  companions.  She 
pointed  out  the  nest  and  directed  him  to  climb  the 
tree  and  restore  the  bird.  This  done  he  sat  down  beside 
her  at  a  point  where  the  Raccoon  curved  sweepingly  and 
swung  off  abruptly  into  a  new  course. 

"I  hope  your  father  didn't  scold  you  for  anything  we 
did,"  he  began  meekly. 

"No;  he  took  it  all  pretty  well,  and  promised  that  if 
I  wouldn't  tell  mama  what  he  had  been  doing — about 
coming  down  here  with  Governor  Osborne  just  to  settle 
an  old  score  at  poker — mama  doesn't  approve  of  cards, 
you  know — that  he  would  make  me  a  present  of  a  better 
riding  horse  than  the  one  I  now  have,  and  he  might 
even  consider  a  trip  abroad  next  summer." 

"Oh,  you  mustn't  go  abroad!  It's — it's  so  lonesome 
abroad !" 

"How  perfectly  ridiculous !  Has  it  never  occurred  to 
you  that  I  am  never  lonesome,  not  even  when  I'm  alone." 

"Well,"  said  Ardmore,  who  saw  that  he  was  headed 


418  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

for  a  blind  alley,  "I'm  glad  your  father  was  not  dis 
pleased  with  our  work." 

"He'll  think  we  did  pretty  well  after  he's  read  our 
correspondence  in  his  letter  books.  I  told  him  the 
stamp  we  stamped  his  name  with  worked  better  with 
the  red  ink  pad  than  with  the  black  one,  which  ought,  at 
any  rate,  to  be  clear  enough  to  a  man  of  papa's  intelli 
gence." 

"Did  you  tell  him  about  that  railroad  lawyer  from 
New  York  who  wanted  to  suppress  the  law  which  com 
pels  all  locomotive  whistles  to  be  tuned  to  E  flat  ?" 

"No;  that  man  sent  me  a  ten-pound  box  of  candy, 
which  was  highly  improper,  considering  papa's  position, 
and  I  should  have  scorned  to  accept  the  candy  only  I 
had  forgotten  to  keep  his  card." 

"And  besides,"  added  Ardmore  gently,  "you  had  eaten 
the  candy.  Don't  you  remember  that  you  left  nothing 
but  a  few  burnt  almonds  which  you  wanted  to  keep 
for  eating  filapenas  ?" 

"Don't  be  silly !"  ejaculated  Jerry  contemptuously. 

"It's  a  good  thing  all  this  fuss  about  the  Appleweight 
people  is  over  or  I  should  be  worse  than  silly.  My  mind 
was  not  intended  for  such  heavy  work." 

"I  think  you  have  a  good  mind,  Mr.  Ardmore,"  said 


GOOD-BY    TO    JERRY    DANGERFIELD   419 

Jerry,  with  the  air  of  one  who  makes  concessions.  "You 
really  did  well  in  all  these  troubles,  and  you  did  much 
better  than  I  thought  you  would  the  day  I  hired  you  for 
private  secretary.  I  think  I  could  safely  recommend  you 
to  any  governor  in  need  of  assistance." 

"You  talk  as  though  you  were  getting  ready  to  dis 
charge  me/'  said  Ardmore  plaintivel}',  "and  I  don't  want 
to  lose  my  job." 

"You  ought  to  have  something  to  do/'  said  Jerry 
thoughtfully.  "As  near  as  I  can  make  out  you  have 
never  done  anything  but  study  about  pirates  and  col 
lect  pernicious  books  on  the  sinful  life  of  Captain  Kidd. 
You  should  have  some  larger  aim  in  life  than  that  and 
I  think  I  know  of  a  good  position  that  is  now  open, 
or  will  be  as  soon  as  papa,  has  cleared  out  the  peanut 
shells  we  left  in  his  desk.  I  think  you  would  make  an 
excellent  adjutant-general  with  full  charge  of  the  state 
militia.  You  have  already  had  experience  in  the 
handling  of  troops,  and  as  Rutherford  Gillingwater 
never  did  anything  but  get  typhoid  fever  to  earn  the 
place,  I  see  no  reason  why  papa  should  not  appoint  you 
to  the  position." 

"But  you  have  to  get  rid  of  Gillingwater  first,"  sug 
gested  Ardmore,  his  heart  beating  fast. 


420  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDARE 

"If  you  mean  that  he  has  to  be  removed  from  office,  I 
will  tell  you  now,  Mr.  Ardmore,  that  Rutherford  Gil- 
lingwater  will  no  longer  sign  himself  adjutant-general 
of  North  Carolina.  I  removed  him  myself  in  a  general 
order  I  wrote  yesterday  afternoon  just  before  I  told 
papa  that  you  and  I  could  not  act  as  governor  any 
longer,  but  that  he  must  resume  the  yoke/' 

"But  that  must  have  been  a  matter  of  considerable 
delicacy,  Miss  Dangerfield,  when  you  consider  that  you 
are  engaged  to  marry  Mr.  Gillingwater." 

"Not  in  the  least,"  said  Jerry.  "I  broke  our  engage 
ment  the  moment  I  saw  that  he  came  here  the  other 
night  all  dressed  up  to  eat  and  not  to  fight,  and  he  is 
now  free  to  engage  himself  to  that  thin  blonde  at  Golds- 
boro  whom  he  thinks  so  highly  intellectual." 

Jerry  held  up  her  left  hand  and  regarded  its  ring- 
less  fingers  judicially,  while  Ardmore,  his  heart  racing 
hotly  against  all  records,  watched  her,  and  with  a  par 
ticular  covetousness  his  eyes  studied  that  trifle  of  a 
hand. 

Then  with  a  quick  gesture  he  seized  her  hand  and 
raised  her  gently  to  her  feet. 

"Jerry  I"  he  cried.  "From  the  moment  you  winked  at 
me  I  have  loved  you.  I  should  have  followed  you  round 


GOOD-BY   TO   JERRY   DANGERFIELD  421 

the  world  until  I  found  you.  If  you  can  marry  a  worth 
less  wretch  like  me,  if — oh,  Jerry !" 

She  gently  freed  her  hand  and  stepped  to  one  side, 
bending  her  head  like  a  bird  that  pauses  alarmed,  or 
uncertain  of  its  whereabouts,  glancing  cautiously  up  and 
down  the  creek. 

"Mr.  Ardmore,"  she  said,  "you  may  not  be  aware  that 
when  you  asked  me  to  be  your  wife — and  that,  I  take  it, 
was  your  intention — you  were  standing  in  South  Caro 
lina,  while  I  stood  with  both  feet  on  the  sacred  soil  of  the 
Old  North  State.  Under  the  circumstances  I  do  not 
think  your  proposal  is  legal.  Moreover,  unless  you  are 
quite  positive  which  eye  it  was  that  so  far  forgot  itself 
as  to  wink,  I  do  not  think  the  matter  can  go  further." 

The  slightest  suggestion  of  a  smile  played  about  her 
lips,  but  he  was  very  deeply  troubled,  and,  seeing  this, 
her  eyes  grew  grave  with  kindness. 

"Mr.  Ardmore,  if  your  muscles  of  locomotion  have 
not  been  utterly  paralyzed,  and  if  you  will  leave  that 
particular  state  of  the  Union  which,  next  to  Massachu 
setts,  I  most  deeply  abhor,  I  will  do  what  I  can  in  my 
poor  weak  way — as  father  says  in  beginning  his  best 
speeches — to  assist  you  to  the  answer." 

Then  for  many  asons,  when  he  had  his  arms  about  her, 


422  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  JUG  AT  KILDABE 

a  kiss,  which  he  had  intended  for  the  lips  that  were  so 
near,  somehow  failed  of  its  destination,  and  fell  upon 
what  seemed  to  him  a  rose-leaf  gone  to  Heaven,  but 
which  was,  in  fact,  Jerry  Dangerfield's  left  eye.  His 
being  tingled  with  the  most  delicious  of  intoxications,  to 
which  the  clasp  of  her  arms  about  his  neck  added  un 
necessary  though  not  unwelcome  delight.  Then  she 
drew  back  and  held  him  away  with  her  finger-tips  for  an 
instant. 

"Mr.  Thomas  Ardmore,"  she  said,  with  maddening 
deliberation,  "it  may  not  be  important,  but  I  must  tell 
you  in  all  candor  that  it  was  the  other  eye." 


14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 

LOAN  DEPT. 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below,  or 

on  the  date  to  which  renewed. 
Renewed  books  are  subject  to  immediate  recall. 


l3Dec'6lNT 

REC'D  I  D 

DEC  5  .  *fij 

K/0/ 

.1   i  >  Q  *  n"7O 

| 

JUH  <J  o  19/3 

REC'O  LD 

i  .  •,  'M-!iPM52 

.AM  21 

LD  21A-50m-8,'61 

General  Library 
University  of  California 

